.-.  J- 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 
LIBRARY 

Class  Book  Volume 

^-      "      '  •  t"  ^     . 

Myo8.i5M     REIMOTE  STORAGE 


/ 


THE 


BUCHHOIvZ    KANlIIvY. 


SKETCHES  OF  BERLIJST  LIFE. 


By  Julius  Stinde. 

Translated  from   the   Forty-ninth   German   Edition. 

In  Two  Parts.     Each,    1  2mo,  $1.25. 


"  We  cannot  recall  another  work,  fictitious  or  other,  in  which 
the  middle  class  is  viewed  from  the  inside.  The  author  does 
not  as  an  outsider  satirize  the  class  he  describes  ;  he  merely  laughs 
at  such  follies  or  absurdities  of  individual  members  of  it  as,  in  life, 
their  friends  would  see  and  smile  over." — T/ie  Natioii. 

"  The  author's  hilarity  is  always  cheerful  and  elevat'ir  g,  and  for 
unadulterated  humor,  for  quiet,  unobtrusive  fun,  commend  us  to 
this  famous  book." — Hartford  Post. 

"Not  Berlin  alone,  but  the  great  Chancellor  himself,  have  ex- 
pressed their  delight  over  the  Buchholz  family.  All  those  quiet,  in- 
nocent household  festivals  which  delight  honest  Germans  are  pleas- 
antly described.  Herr  Stinde's  pen  is  of  the  quiet,  pleasant  kind, 
and  never  coarse,  and  he  is  the  best  representative  of  true  German 
humor  we  have  yet  seen." — New  York  Times. 


v/ 


FRAU   WILHELMINE 


THE  CONCLUDING  PART  OF  THE     ^ 

btate  Lihra-v  brnf> 


t  i 


BUCHHOLZ    FAMILY 


BY 

JULIUS    STINDE 

TRANSLATED  BY 

HARRIET    F.    POWELL 


NEW  YORK 
CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

1887 

\Authorized  Translation] 


; 


1> 


o 


REMOTE  STORAGE 

CONTENTS. 


PAGB 

Repose, .        .        .        i 

In  the  "Zoo," .13 

A  Ladies'  Coffee-Party,      .        .        .        .        .        .        .25 

Friend  Max, 43 

At  the  Hasenhaide, .        .       58 

Fritz  and  Franz, 71 

A  Bad  Time .        .        .        .84 

The  Pillars  of  the  House loi 

More  ABOUT  the '•Helps,"  .        .        ."^    ..        .        .     123 

Winter  Evenings,  .        .  139 

Amongst  Ourselves .        .154 

Building  Projects, .189 

Back  from  School, 204 

The  Krauses, 218 

The  Silver  Wedding, 228 

Westerland, 245 

Home,       .        .  256 

(iii) 


589 


N. 


FRAU  WILHELMINE. 

Slut*"  ''  ma-v  S<" '"!<'• 
REPOSE. 

On  a  contemplative  old  age — And  travelling  nerves — Why  work  of 
sterling  quality  commands  its  price,  and  business  depends  on 
patterns — On  competition  and  the  Tower  of  Babel — Why  a 
wager  is  made  and  Frau  Krause  is  pleased — Why  Felix  cannot 
rebel. 

If  any  one  wishes  to  attain  an  object,  he  must  not 
only  choose  the  proper  moment,  but  grip  it  tightly  as 
well.  Even  a  senseless  mouse-trap  is  aware  of  that 
fact,  for  whatever  has  once  escaped  from  it  does  not 
return.  How  much  more  therefore  ought  deliberating 
man  to  ponder  the  question  of  time,  when  it  is  of  im- 
port to  him  to  carry  his  point  and  to  reduce  probable 
opposition  to  a  state  of  nullity! 

Fortunately  I  am  to  some  extent  acquainted  with 
my  husband's  inner  life,  even  though  it  be  not  quite 
devoid  of  hidden  corners,  and  I  wait  for  a  favourable 
opportunity  of  presenting  for  his  approbation  wishes 
that  I  have  in  view.  Of  course  it  must  be  before  he 
has  been  to  his  office,where  the  correspondence  nuisance 
claims  his  entire  attention,  and  it  is  just  as  neces- 
sary that  it  should  not  follow  a  sleepless  night.  For 
many  years  I  have  tried  the  state  of  the  barometer  by 
breakfast.  If,  for  instance,  he  takes  great  gulps  of 
boiling  hot  coffee,  without  scalding  himself,  it  is  best 
to  leave  him  quite  to  himself :  for  sheer  hurry  and 
worry  prevent  his  giving  his  attention;  but  if  he  only 
sips  it,  and  butters  another  half  roll  for  himself,  and 
then  a  quarter,  and  lastly  a  tiny  piece,  then  his   cup 


Frail   Wilhehnine. 


may  be  tenderly  replenished,  and  he  stays  and  listens 
quietly. 

After  our  Betti  had  become  engaged  to  Herr  Felix 
Schmidt,  I  discovered  that  my  Carl  carried  secrets 
about  with  him,  which  naturally  had  reference  to  the 
business,  as  he  did  not  let  them  come  out.  Such  had 
ever  been  his  way.  He  never  laid  his  cares  on  my 
shoulders  when  business  came  to  a  standstill,  when 
woollen  goods  gaped  at  each  other,  or  such-like  con- 
junctures occurred.  No;  I  only  discovered  how  we 
stood  when  everything  was  quite  clear  once  more,  and 
always  after  an  interim  of  one  day's  pest.  Therefore 
I  did  not  bother  him  with  questions  on  this  occasion, 
for  my  Carl  does  not  belong  to  those  speculators  who 
risk  everything  that  they  may  drive  on  india-rubber 
tires  for  a  year,  and  get  along  on  clogs  for  the  rest  of 
their  existence. 

However,  if  he  carried  secret  designs  about  with 
him,  why  should  I  not  have  mine?  Emmi  was  pro- 
vided with  a  husband,  and  Betti  next  door  to  it.  I 
could  therefore  fold  my  hands  in  my  lap,  and  look 
passively  on  at  the  march  of  events.  Why  should  I 
go  on  toiling  and  moiling,  and  make  my  life  a  burden 
to  me  ?  The  young  people  were  big  enough  to  com- 
mit their  own  stupidities,  and  independent  enough  to 
learn  wisdom  without  assistance.  Why,  there  are 
many  parents  who  give  their  children  no  other  educa- 
tion to  take  along  with  them  than  two  strong  arms, 
and  the  non-cultivation  that  goes  with  them;  but  mine 
have  had  something  of  everything.  They  have  been 
taught  the  sciences,  as  well  as  deportment,  culture, 
and  domestic  economy.  This  being  so,  I  said  to  my- 
self, "Wilhelmine,  a  contemplative  old  age  is  most 
adapted  for  you.  You  have  done  your  duty,  and  may 
fitly  lay  claim  to  a  comfortable  state  of  repose." 


Repose.  3 

In  saying  this,  however,  I  did  not  depict  for  myself 
an  absolutely  hermit-like  mode  of  life,  with  nothing 
but  carrots  and  such-like  roots  of  the  woods  ;  but 
rather  I  contemplated  merely  a  withdrawal  from  every- 
thing that  did  not  concern  me,  by  means  of  which 
much  vexation  and  worry  may  be  avoided;  for  discord 
and  annoyance  really  only  arise  from  the  fact  that  the 
good  which  one  wishes  to  do  is  misunderstood.  On 
the  other  hand,  for  any  evil-doing  there  is  always  a 
prompt  and  intelligent  comprehension. 

As  soon  as  my  ideas  began  to  be  matured,  the  time 
came  to  present  them  to  my  husband  and  to  snatch 
the  right  moment  for  doing  so.  "  Carl,"  said  I,  "have 
you  thought  at  all  yet  about  how  we  are  to  keep  our 
silver  wedding ? " — "Not  so  far,"  he  answered;  "but 
it  shall  be  jolly — that  is  as  fixed  as  an  old  poplar." — 
"You  meant  to  say  rationally  amusing,  did  you  not,' 
my  Carl  ?  You  know  surely  that  noise  and  bustle  do 
not  suit  me!" — "But  who  is  going  to  make  a  noise 
and  bustle  ?  "  he  asked. — "  It  cannot  be  avoided.  Be- 
fore dinner,  certainly,  they  are  anxious  to  behave  like 
people  of  the  world  and  speak  as  though  they  were 
shod  in  felt ;  but  once  let  the  fish  course  be  over,  and 
all  fear  of  fish-bones  be  rendered  groundless,  then  free 
course  is  given  to  the  vocal  chords  ;  and  the  redder 
people  get  as  the  wine  warms  them,  the  more  noise 
they  make,  until  each  one  must  strain  his  voice  more 
than  his  neighbour  is  already  doing,  simply  in  order 
that  he  may  be  understood  ;  and  so  it  goes  on,  one 
outbidding  the  other,  till  one  fancies  that  the  deaf  are 
holding  a  quarterly  meeting.  Such  acoustics  are  try- 
ing to  my  nerves." 

"  Wilhelmine,"  said  my  husband,  smiling  quietly, 
"  your  nerves  are  as  good  as  new." — "  But,  Carl,  I  do 
possess  some." — "  I  dare  say  they  will  be  all  right  again 


Frau   Wilhelmine. 


by  then.  The  day  on  which  you  became  my  dear 
wife,  five-and-twenty  years  ago,  cannot  be  allowed  to 
pass  without  celebration  ;  I  owe  that  to  you,  and  you 
to  me." 

"  We  might  start  off  on  a  little  journey,"  I  suggested 
casually,  and  filled  up  his  cup  afresh  in  order  to  keep 
him  in  his  place. — "  So  you  don't  possess  nerves  in 
travelling  ?  " — "  Carl,  the  matter  is  too  serious  for  you 
to  dispose  of  it  with  cool  derision.  Travelling  is 
strengthening — that  is  a  generally  recognised  fact." 

"And  where  have  your  cogitations  determined  that 
we  are  to  go  ? " — "  If  you  take  up  the  map,  Switzerland 
hardly  seems  to  be  any  distance." 

My  Carl  did  not  answer  at  once,  but  took  a  great 
big  gulp  from  his  cup.  "  Aha,"  I  noticed,  "  obstacles 
are  towering  aloft  here,"  and  continued  therefore  at 
once  :  "  The  police-lieutenant's  wife  went  to  Switzer- 
land when  she  took  her  daughter  Mila  to  a  boarding- 
school,  and  she  behaves  as  if  the  Rigi  had  been  piled 
up  solely  on  her  account ;  and  if  you  speak  to  any  one 
on  the  subject,  they  make  a  boast  of  their  travels  in 
Switzerland.  Assessor  Lehmann  and  his  wife  skimmed 
across  Switzerland  on  their  wedding-tour,  and  even 
Herr  Pfeiffer  is  on  familiar  terms  with  the  most  out- 
of-the-way  mountains.  Do  you  think  you  will  be  able 
to  endure  for  a  continuance  people  asking  you  with  a 
sort  of  contemptuous  pity  :  'What,  you  have  not  been 
to  Switzerland  yet  ? ' — '  Really  ?  Why,  it  is  incompre- 
hensible.'— *  One  certainly  ought  to  have  seen  it,  if 
only  on  account  of  Andermatt,  and  all  those  places 
spoken  of  in  Tell.' — I  don't  want  to  be  exposed  to  that 
any  longeir.  And  we  can  manage  it,  my  Carl.  The 
festivities  for  the  silver  wedding  would  run  into  more 
money  than  a  little  trip  to  the  eternal  heights,  with 
their  real  glaciers.     Do  be  reasonable." 


Repose.  5 

)  My  Carl  had  got  up  while  I  was  talking,  and  lighted 
his  morning  cigar,  after  which  he  seated  himself  again  on 
the  sofa.  He  was  therefore  disposed  to  entertain  the 
idea — a  fact  that  aroused  considerable  gleams  of  hope. 

After  he  had  drawn  some  fragrant  puffs,  he  began 
in  a  very  explanatory  tone  :  "  I  am  of  your  opinion  in 
many  respects,  Wilhelmine,  and  should  have  no  objec- 
tions to  take  to  your  idea  of  a  trip,  if  it  were  compat- 
ible with  business  engagements." — "  Well  ? " — "  Let 
me  finish,  child." — "  I  am  hardly  moving  !  " — "In  these 
days  competition  is  a  very  different  thing  from  what 
it  used  to  be.  The. worth  of  the  goods  no  longer  turns 
the  scale,  but  rather  their  cheapness  ;  and  the  public 
favours  this  underselling  by  reason  of  its  ignorance/' — 
"  Of  course  the  whole  lot  is  rubbish,"  I  exclaimed  in 
interruption,  "  and  not  worth  half  the  price  !  " 

"  Quite  right ;  the  purchaser  deceives  himself.  Good 
materials  and  proved  workmanship  are  not  to  be  had 
for  nothing  ;  they  always  command  their  price,  and 
will  continue  to  do  so  in  future.  But  one  must  follow 
the  leading  features  of  the  time." — "  Carl,  you  are 
surely  not  going  to  make  arrangements  for  a  constant 
sale  of  riff-raff  goods?" — "No  ;  but  I  shall  manufac- 
ture certain  articles  myself,  and  rely  on  them  against 
all  healthy  competition.  The  man  to  whom  Betti  is 
engaged  possesses  exceptional  abilities,  his  knowledge 
of  manufacture  and  his  youth  will  join  itself  to  my 
business  experience  and  age,  and  result  in  fresh  and 
profitable  activity." — "  I  do  not  doubt  that  in  the  least, 
my  Carl ;  wherever  you  are,  things  are  sure  to  go 
right.  If  you  are  really  about  to  get  such  reliable 
help,  you  will  be  able  to  tear  yourself  away  splendid- 
ly, and  to  travel  with  all  the  greater  peace  of  mind." 
— "  Travelling  is  not  to  be  thought  of.  We  are  going 
to  build." 


Frau   Wilhelmine. 


"  To  build  ? "  I  repeated  in  horror. 

"  Certainly  ;  with  bricks  and  mortar." 

"I  can  vividly  imagine  that  you  don't  intend  to  use 
chocolate-cream  for  the  purpose  !  "  I  exclaimed  angri- 
ly, "  A  pleasant  partner,  an  excellent  son-in-law,  to 
beguile  you  into  such  follies  !  Build  indeed  !  Just 
think  of  it — to  build  !  You  had  better  brick  in  both 
your  wife  and  daughter  in  the  foundation,  that  their 
bodily  eyes  may  not  see  how  everything  goes  topsy- 
turvy, while  nothing  sensible  results  from  it.  Oh, 
Carl,  why  did  you  not  tell  me  something  about  it 
earlier?  But  now  of  course  it  is  too  late — worse  luck! 
— and  nothing  can  be  altered," 

*^  Wilhelmine,  that  I  should  make  any  communica- 
tion to  you  about  my  plans  is  contrary  to  my  usual 
habit,  and  has  only  been  done  on  this  occasion  to  con- 
vince you  of  the  impracticability  of  your  project  for 
travelling." — "  I  do  not  see  it  at  all,  as  yet." — '*  Pa- 
tience !  You  soon  will.  In  our  branch,  business  is 
done  in  certain  articles  according  to  the  novelty  of  the 
pattern.  Whoever  is  the  first  to  place  a  successful 
pattern  on  the  market,  skims  off  the  cream;  the  next 
comer,  after  the  principal  demand  has  been  satisfied, 
must  content  himself  with  less;  and  lastly,  he  who  only 
gets  a  conception  of  the  pattern  after  it  has  been  al- 
ready imitated  and  made  common,  in  order  to  lend  the 
most  abominable  shoddy  a  saleable  outside,  stands 
quite  at  the  bottom  after  the  race  is  over.  Now  if  we 
manufacture  certain  articles  ourselves,  we  make  not 
only  the  manufacturer's  gains,  but  as  sole  possessors 
of  the  pattern  we  pocket  the  largest  profit,  before  imi- 
tators take  forcible  possession  of  it  and  send  the  busi- 
ness to  the  dogs  by  putting  goods  on  the  market  that 
resemble  it,  are  less  valuable,  or  have  even  been  manu- 
factured for  purposes  of  imposition," 


Repose.  7 

"  Carl,"  I  asked  in  astonishment,  "  if  you  invent 
something,  surely  nobody  else  is  allowed  to  imitate  it  ?" 

"  He  is  not  allowed,  but  he  does  it." 

"  Is  there  no  prohibition  against  it  ? " 

"  We  have  laws  relative  to  patents  and  the  protec- 
tion of  patterns,  which  are  a  sort  of  safety-hedge  to 
prevent  burglarious  entry  on  mental  or  industrial  ter- 
ritories, but  they  only  ward  them  off  in  part.  Any 
one  wishing  to  cheat  and  swindle,  will  spy  out  holes 
in  definitions  that  honest  people  look  upon  as  a  most 
unassailable  covering.  A  swindler  like  that,  does  not 
imitate  the  pattern  servilely — for  then  he  would  very 
soon  be  seized  upon — but  he  repeats  it  with  certain,  of 
course,  unimportant  alterations;  he  reproduces  it,  as 
people  say,  by  means  of  his  perceptive  faculties,  and 
there  is  no  legal  method  of  proceeding  against  it." 

"Why  does  he  not  invent  something  for  himself  ?" 
I  asked  angrily, — "  Because  he  is  ^^thout  talent,  and 
finds  annexation  a  less  laborious  prOT<^^han  inventing 
something  novel,  and  incurring  the  risk  of  the  first  bid." 
— "Carl,  is  he  not  ashamed  of  himself?" — "No,  he  is 
impudent  into  the  bargain,  the  better  to  impress  the 
public.  Besides,  every  one  wants  to  live — the  one  in 
this  fashion,  the  other  in  that." 

"  It  is  true,"  I  corroborated  him,  "  nobody  gives  his 
neighbour  a  hundred-mark  note,  but  then  he  need  not 
set  to  work  at  once  to  rob  him," 

"  It  is  not  called  robbery,  but  competition.  The  same 
causes  induce  German  manufacturers  to  affix  English 
and  French  labels  to  their  best  goods,  because  the  Ger- 
man purchaser  considers  a  '■haute  nouveauW  better  worth 
paying  for  than  a  ^neuheit'j  and  so  the  old  superstition 
that  all  foreign  products  are  superior  to  ours,  is  arti- 
ficially kept  up.  In  token  of  their  gratitude,  the  Eng- 
lish send  miserable  articles  with  the  stamp  of  German 


8  Fran    Wilhelmine. 


manufacturers  affixed  to  them  to  those  places  where 
they  fear  competition  ;  by  this  means  they  bring  our 
industries  just  as  slowly  and  surely  into  bad  repute  as 
we,  in  our  lov^e  of  foreign  articles,  have  helped  theirs 
^  a  reputation  that,  all  thino^s  considered,  is  not  de- 
f     *  -  -^served  by  all  of  them." 

"That  is  a  nice  state  of  things,  Carl." 

"And  therefore,  it  is  necessary  to  make  a  stand 
against  it.  Open  your  eyes  while  purchasing,  and 
look  to  the  quality  of  the  goods  instead  of  their  label. 
Then  this  cheating  will  come  to  an  end.  Competition 
is  forcing  building  upon  us.  If  the  manufactory  ac 
complishes  what  we  expect  of  it,  I  will  travel  with  you 
wherever  you  w«t>t  to  go,  Minchen, — to  the  Blocks- 
berg,  or  wherever  else  it  happens  to  be  pretty." 

"  Carl,  a  tombstone  has  more  tact  than  you — it  would 
not  even  mention  such  localities  !  Have  you  consid- 
ered what  discgHjfort  and  dust  building  brings  with 
it?  Surely  n^^^teven  now  you  would  say  that  you 
had  better  leav™t  alone." 

"  The  piece  of  ground  bordering  on  our  court-yard 
has  been  already  acquired,  and  the  buildings  upon  it 
can  be  easily  adapted  to  our  purposes.  The  architect 
Krause  has  already  begun  on  the  plans." — "That  is 
a  consolation  !  "  I  exclaimed  ;  "  I  have  confidence  in 
him — he  has  a  sense  for  the  practical  and  the  solid. 
If  the  people  of  long  ago  had  emplo3^ed  him  for  the 
Tower  of  Babylon,  it  would  have  been  in  existence 
to-day  " — **  You  ought  to  see,  Minchen,  that  the  build- 
ing will  afford  even  you  pleasure." — "Most  if  it  tum- 
bles down  again.  Ah,  and  I  had  such  delightful  fan- 
cies about  devoting  myself  entirely  to  repose  !  " — "  To 
whom  ? "  asked  my  husband,  placing  his  hand  behind 
.  his  ear. — "  To  repose.  It  seems  to  mc  that  I  spoke 
sufficiently  plainly." — "Wilhelmine,  you  and  repose! 


Repose.  q 

May  I  ask  since  when  ?" — "  Carl,  if  you  have  kept  your 
seat  for  the  sole  purpose  of  hurting  my  feelings,  then 
you  had  better  say  so  straight  out,  instead  of  dissem- 
bling and  torturing  me  by  inches.  I  don't  consider  it 
high-minded." — "  The  astonishment  was  too  great," 
he  mLde  excuse  ;  "  I  could  not  take  it  in  at  once.  Just 
explain  one  thing  to  me,  Wilhelmine  :  how  are  you  to  . 
set  to  work  to  look  on  quietly  when  things  are  going 
crooked,  without  giving  advice  ?  how  will  you  fold 
your  hands  quietly  in  your  lap,  without  helping  where 
it  is  necessary  ?  " 

"  I  shall  not  trouble  myself  further  about  anything 
that  does  not  concern  me,"  was  my  answer ;  "  I  will 
not  burn  my  fingers  any  more  for  other  people.  *  Don't 
meddle  with  what  does  not  concern  you,'  shall  be  my 
rule  of  life  from  this  moment ;  and  if  you  really  choose 
to  understand  me,  you  know  exactly  now  what  I  mean. 
But  you  are  one  of  those  people  wJ^o  can  only  see 
through  a  brick  wall  when  there  is  a^hole  in  it." 

**  I  have  understood  you  perfectly,"  answered  my 
Carl,  "  and  I  can  only  approve  of  your  programme." — 
"  Carl  —  programme  !  What  sort  of  expression  is 
that  ?  " — "  Let  us  say  holiday  arrangements,  then,  as 
you  wish  to  give  yourself  a  holiday." — "  Carl,  I  con- 
sider it  extremely  immoral  to  make  game  of  me;  and 
now,  of  all  times.  You  shall  see  that  I  will  carry  it 
out.  So  far  as  our  private  relations  are  concerned,  I 
shall  be  at  my  post  now  as  always — that  is  my  duty, 
of  course — :with  avoidance  of  all  superfluous  inter- 
ference ;  but  so  far  as  outside  matters  and  all  relation^ 
to  them  are  concerned,  I  have  ceased  to  exist  under 
any  condition  whatsoever.  Make  a  note  of  it,  Carl ; 
for  such  folk  Wilhelmine  Buchholz  is  an  unsubstantial 
void,  now  and  for  ever." — "  If  I  might  be  permitted  to 
entertain  certain  doubts " 


10  Fra?^    Wilhelmine. 

"  You  are  not  permitted." 

"  Your  repose*  begins  well — you  flare  up  at  once 
about  a  nothing  !  " — "  A  nothing,  Carl  ?  A  nothing  ?  I 
want  to  go  to  Switzerland,  and  you  want  to  build;  do 
you  call  that  a  nothing  ?  " — *'  I  thought  you  were  spe- 
cially bent  on  repose." — ''  For  what  other  reason  do  I 
propose  the  journey  than  to  get  away  from  the  bustle 
of  the  silver  wedding  here  ?  " — "  As  if  you  would  find 
repose  on  the  journey  !  Where  is  your  logic  ?  " — **Do 
you  think  I  am  as  variable  as  a  chameleon,  that 
changes  its  mind  every  five  minutes  ?  Oh,  no  ;  I  keep 
to  what  I  have  undertaken  !  " — "  Will  you  wager  that 
you  do?" — "I  shall." — "For  six  months?" — Being 
wounded  in  my  deepest  feelings,  I  was  prepared  to 
hurl  back  a  remark  that  was  two-edged,  to  say  the 
least  of  it,  when  a  sly  idea  that,  so  to  speak,  fell  from 
the  clouds,  prevented  my  doing  so.  "  All  right,"  I 
said,  "let  us  have  a  wager.  If  I  win  we  will  go  to 
Switzerland." — "  Done,"  laughed  my  Carl,  and  gave 
me  his  hand  upon  it  ;  "  but  what  are  you  going  to 
stake  in  return,  in  case  you  lose  ? " — "  I  lose  ?  Not  a 
thought  of  it  !  " — "  Name  your  stake,  Minchen." — "  If 
I  lose,  I  will  acknowledge  that  you  are  right  in  every- 
thing, whatever  it  may  be." — "And  you  won't  contra- 
dict if  I  build  ?     Done." 

I  shook  hands  on  it.  "That's  settled,"  exclaimed 
my  Carl. — "  What  is  settled  ?  I  bind  myself  to  noth- 
ing."—  "Are  you  inclined  to  break  your  contract 
already  ? " — "  Carl,  I  beg  of  you  not  to  be  abusive." — 
My  husband  got  up,  as  it  had  now  become  high  time 
for  him  to  be  at  his  office.  "  The  journey  depends 
upon  yourself  alone,"  he  said.  "If  in  the  course  of 
six  months  you  have  made  persons  with  whom  you 
have  nothing  to  do  neither  happy  nor  unhappy  by 
forcible   measures,  I  shall  acquiesce  in  the  journey  to 


,  Repose.  1 1 

Switzerland;  but  if  you  forfeit  your  word,  then  we 
shall  stay  at  home  and  build." — "  Carl,  I  swear  to 
you."  —  "Wilhelmine,  consider  that  consistency  and 
obstinacy  are  two  very  different  things." 

"  You  shall  see  how  consistent  I  can  be,"  I  called 
after  him.  As  if  men  had  made  a  general  compact  of 
steadfastness  !  On  the  contrary,  whenever  there  is  a 
question  of  real  energy,  people  turn  to  us  women. 
That  may  be  found  in  every  Universal  History  as  often 
as  one  turns  over  its  pages.  / 

As  soon  as  I  was  alone,  many  things  occurred  to  me 
that  I  might  have  said  to  my  Carl ;  amongst  others, 
that  too  large  a  measure  of  confidence  has  never  yet 
been  a  wise  gift,  and  that  he  stakes  wife,  children,  and 
grandchildren  unscrupulously  on  the  plans  submitted 
to  him  by  a  young  man,  who,  even  if  he  does  possess 
some  fortune,  may  yet  be  sufficiently  ill-advised  to  use 
up  our  small  amount  of  money.  Buchholz's  thalers  can 
be  made  to  fly — they  are  not  leaden.  Can  he  look 
back  on  a  steady  life  without  any  break  ?  But  why 
stir  up  old  stories  ? — for  then  Betti  would  discover 
that  the  man  whom  she  loves  with  all  her  might,  in 
whom  she  sees  the  prince  of  men,  was  very  near  en- 
gaging himself  to  a  worthless  woman,  and  then  there 
might  be  an  awful  bother.  She  is  quite  capable  of  it. 
And  so  one  must  be  as  dumb  as  the  Bible  on  the  altar. 

Now  I  certainly  had  absolutely  asserted  to  the  po- 
lice-lieutenant's wife,  in  the  course  Of  conversation, 
that  I  and  my  Carl  would  positively  go  to  Switzer- 
land, and  the  others  knew  it  also,  although  she  had 
talked  more  about  it  than  I.  Frau  Bergfeldt  must 
have  heard  about  it  through  her,  for  she  said  to  me  the 
other  day,  "  Good  gracious,  Frau  Buchholz,  I  thought 
jMfwere  on  the  top  of  Mont  Blanc,  and  here  you  are 
daticing  up  the  Dorotheen-strasse  in  person!"     And 


■ ..",-.,«  I  i'u,»((ff  iWLi||y!tiiw  J^pi, 


1 2  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

then  Frau  Krause,  who  so  pointedly  remarked  that 
one  ought  only  to  speak  of  a  journey  after  it  had  come 
to  a  happy  ending,  it  was  so  easy  for  something  to 
interfere  with  it.  If  she  discovered  that  the  journey 
was  an  over-hasty  vision,  which  my  husband  refused 
to  make  a  reality,  her  delight  would  be  the  death  of 
her;  for  she  snatches  at  every  opportunity  for  mak- 
ing stupid  and  unkind  remarks,  that  people  like  myself 
must  swallow,  because  this  time  there  really  is  a  tiny 
grain  of  truth  lying  at  the  bottom  of  them.  Such  an 
old  cat  as  she  is  ! 

Perhaps  I  may  succeed  in  inducing  Dr.  Wrenzchen 
to  dissuade  my  husband  from  his  building  fad.  Build- 
ing costs  money^a  great  deal  of  money  ;  and  as  the 
Doctor  is  tolerably  eager  about  his  inheritance,  he  will 
probably  express  his  undisguised  doubts  about  em- 
ploying capital  for  its  destruction.  As  the  father  of 
twins,  he  must  have  a  care  that  the  bit  of  inheritance 
is  not  squandered  ;  and  then  again,  it  is  desirable  that 
some  one  should  form  an  opposition  against  Herr  Felix 
and  my  Carl,  for  if  the  three  men  hold  fast  together, 
they  will  put  me  aside  in  skat.  I  certainly  wish  for 
repose,  but  I  shall  not  let  myself  be  relegated  to  the 
garret  beside  the  rocking-horse.  If  I  have  the  Doctor 
on  my  side,  Herr  Felix  will  be  unable  to  rebel  ;  for  as 
soon  as  he  shows  signs  of  doing  so,  I  will  give  him 
gently  to  understand  that  I  know  something,  upon 
which  he  will  become  amenable.  As  soon  as  this  point 
nas  been  reached,  we  can  easily  out- vote  my  husband: 
the  building  goes  overboard,  and  we  go  to  Switzer- 
land. ,    ' 

The  prospect  would  doubtless  have  been  more 
cheerful  if  my  Carl  had  said  Yes  at  once,  instead  of 
refusing  my  request,  hesitating,  and  opening  hostili- 
ties with  a  stupid  wager,     if  neither  means  to  lose, 


In  the  ^^  Zoo."  13 


there  must  of  necessity  be  warfare,  Switzerland  is 
inevitable,  if  only  on  account  of  the  talk  there  has 
been  about  it.  I  wish  to  sit  in  the  refreshing  shadows 
cast  by  the  mountains  and  to  breathe  Alpine  air,  in- 
stead of  climbing  over  heaps  of  sand  and  broken 
bricks  at  home,  and  swallowing  the  dust  from  the 
walls  that  have  been  broken  through.  If  I  have  to 
call  all  sorts  of  intrigues  into  being  in  order  to  attain 
my  end,  the  fault  belongs  to  my  Carl,  should  my  char- 
acter get  spots  and  excrescences;  but  for  the  rest  I 
shall  take  great  care  not  to  lose  my  wager. 

As  if  men  were  always  right !     At  the  very  utmost, 
just  now  and  then. 


IN  THE  "ZOO." 


Why  everything  is  forgiven  to  money — Why  my  Carl  was  to  search 
the  wide  world  through — How  Natural  History  gets  changed — 
About  the  vessel  of  wrath — And  Noah's  ark — About  rapid  atone- 
ment and  New  Years'  eves — About  clever  women  and  revelling 
in  moonlight. 

In  former  days,  when  it  was  still  customary  to  ex- 
hibit the  sciences  in  the  booths  of  our  annual  fairs* 
civilised  man  had  to  dispense  with  all  sorts  of  con- 
veniences if  he  wanted  to  be  instructed  on  the  subject 
of  wild  beasts,  which  generally,  it  is  true,  dwindled 
down  to  some  monkeys  ;  or  if  a  high  pitch  of  excel- 
lence was  aimed  at,  it  ran  to  a  desert  king  in  a  cage — 
an  endeavour  to  represent  the  desert  being  made  by 
strewing  some  sawdust  about,  which,  however,  did  not 
take  in  the  connoisseur.  But  now  one  takes  a  seat  on 
the  town  railway  and  goes  to  the  "  Zoo,"  where  every- 
thing is  concentrated  ;  knowledge,  nature,  instruction 


14  Frau    Wilhelmine. 

and  refreshments.  And  then  the  concert  on  Tuesdays, 
with  the  public  moving  backwards  and  forwards  to  its 
strains,  when  the  ladies  array  themselves  in  spring  in 
the  gorgeous  apparel  that  they  will  Avear  later  on  in 
the  watering-places.  Those  people  who  do  not  go  to 
Heringsdorf,  may,  in  the  Zoological  Gardens,  get  a 
taste  of  the  general  colouring  of  the  picture  that  will 
be  on  view  on  the  shores  of  the  Baltic. 

However,  this  was  not  the  circumstance  that  led  us 
thither  on  this  occasion.  We  were  rather  urged  on 
by  the  intention  of  holding  an  aftertioon  family  gath- 
ering in  the  place,  which  was  to  consist  of  my  Carl  and 
myself.  Dr.  Wrenzchen  and  Emmi,  who  were  desirous 
of  enjoying  once  more  a  larger  allowance  of  fresh  air, 
Felix  and  Betti,  and  Herr  Max,  with  his  fiancee  Frieda, 
who  intended  to  join  us. 

Herr  Max  and  his  fiancee  had  paid  their  visits,  and 
also  received  their  invitations.  I  cannot  yet  say 
whether  she  is  the  right  person  for  him,  for  she  speaks 
but  little,  and  behaves  rather  awkwardly.  Indeed,  I 
should  be  sorry  if  he  has  made  a  mistake,  for  he  is 
such  a  nice  fellow,  and  deserves  a  wife  who  would  be 
a  fitting  counterpart  for  him  in  every  respect ;  for 
there  can  hardly  be  anything  more  depressing  for  a  man 
than  to  be  saddled  with  a  wife  who  is  a  lifelong  wedded 
enigma  to  him,  and  to  have  every  one  who  sees  her 
marvelling  how  such  a  man  could  have  come  by  such 
a  wife.  Money  is  an  excuse  for  everything  in  the 
present  day,  but  she  is  said  to  have  as  good  as  nothing. 

However,  I  will  not  be  the  person  to  draw  attention 
to  the  beam  in  her  eyes,  for  perhaps  she  has  her  esti- 
mable qualities  incognito.  Besides,  we  did  not  go  to 
the  concert  to  criticise  our  fellow-creatures,  but  to 
enjoy  what  was  offered  to  us  in  an  appreciative  and 
gentle  spirit. 


In  the  ''Zoo:'  15 


And  even  if  she  does  inspire  me  with  much  anxiety, 
I  will  keep  my  fingers  out  of  the  pie ;  for  firstly,  she 
is  a  stranger  to  me,  and  secondly,  she  is  far  too  much 
my  inferior  for  me  to  feel  the  slightest  inclination  to 
imperil  my  journey  on  her  account.  Herr  Max  pos- 
sessed unclouded  eyes  when  he  became  ambitious  of 
matrimony  ;  why,  why  did  he  shut  them  ? 

A  large  concourse  of  polite  society  presented  itself 
to  our  gaze  when  we  arrived,  so  that  there  appeared 
but  little  prospect  of  obtaining  a  table  for  four  couples 
in  a  good  position  ;  but  Dr.  Wrenzchen  soon  made  an 
arrangement  with  waiter  No.  93,  who  reserved  an  ex- 
cellent place  for  us  ;  and  as  soon  as  fingers  had  met 
over  this  matter  of  obligation,  we  were  able  to  join  the 
general  promenade,  which  extends  from  the  band- 
stand, past  the  refreshment-rooms,  as  far  as  the  vul- 
tures. On  the  other  side,  there  is  the  lake  with  the 
big  fountain,  and  water-fowl  on  it,  which  form  into 
picturesque  groups. 

The  pleasure-seekers,  immersed  in  conversations  full 
of  courtesies,  pass  each  other  in  two  broad  processions. 
Those  who  are  acquainted  greet  each  other  with  charm- 
ing expressions  of  delight ;  while  those  who  are  not, 
devote  their  attention  to  each  other's  costume  ;  and 
when  one  lady  does  not  look  just  as  she  ought  to  look, 
the  observer  feels  herself  quite  superior,  although  she, 
on  her  side,  does  not  know  by  whom  she  may  be  sur- 
passed in  the  very  newest  novelties.  Fashion  is  not 
only  expensive,  but  unfathomable,  as  well. 

Betti  felt  an  indescribable  pleasure  in  being  able  to 
show  herself  with  her  intended  among  so  many  people  ; 
and  she  was  quite  justified  in  doing  so,  for  as  I  saun- 
tered behind  them  I  could  easily  see  what  an  excellent 
impression  the  two  made,  and  how  many  a  one  thought 
to  herself,  '*  Ah,  if  that  handsome  young  man  did  but 


l6  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

belong  to  me,  how  proud  I  should  be — how  quickly 
my  heart  would  beat !  " 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  Felix  did  look  very  attractive. 
Being  possessed  of  a  good  figure,  his  new  frock-coat 
sat  as  if  it  had  been  electro-plated  on  him,  and  the  cut 
of  the  silver-gray  trousers  was  faultless  ;  besides,  there 
was  a  white  waistcoat  and  a  tall  hat -of  dazzling  black, 
which  had  scarcely  been  worn  twice.  Betti's  appear- 
ance was  not  less  tasteful.  She  was  simply  dressed  in 
a  pea-yellow  satin,  with  a  small  red-brown  pattern, 
and  a  pointed  hat  of  the  same  colour,  trimmed  likewise 
with  red-brown  plush  and  yellow  wild  flowers.  I  ad- 
mit that  pride  is  a  weakness,  but  still  I  could  not  re- 
frain from  whispering  to  my  husband — 

"  Carl,  are  they  not  ornaments  to  the  human  race  ? 
You  may  seek  the  whole  world  through,  andnot  meet 
their  equals  ! " 

We  could  also  regard  the  Doctor  and  Emmi  with  a 
certain  amount  of  pride,  when  we  reflected  how  many, 
whose  fingers  had  already  pointed  towards  eternity, 
had  had  their  plebeian  existence  restored  by  means  of 
his  prescriptions.  Being  a  University  man,  and  pos- 
sessing his  doctor's  degree,  he  starts  by  being  worth 
ever  so  much  more  than  Felix,  especially  when  one  re- 
flects on  the  difficulties  that  have  to  be  overcome  be- 
fore one  attains  to  being  ^  Councillor  of  Commerce — 
a  title  that  is  not  conferred  until  it  is  ascertained  that 
it  will  be  worn  with  due  dignity. 

After  listening  to  a  portion  of  the  music,  and  taking 
a  sufficient  survey  of  humanity,  I  made  a  proposition 
to  devote  a  small  half-hour  to  the  zoological  beasts  as 
well.  '*  Dear  son-in-law,"  I  said  distinctly,  for  divers 
inexpressive  physiognomies  were  looking  at  us  with  a 
certain  amount  of  freedom,  "  you,  being  a  doctor,  will 
surely  know  the  names  to  which  the  animals  respond. 


In  the  '' Zgo."  17 


I  think  it  would  be  most  interesting  for  you  to  explain 
to  us  of  what  use  they  are,  and  in  what  way  they  in- 
fluence us  for  our  instruction."  He  at  once  expressed 
his  readiness  to  do  this,  so  we  went  from  enclosure  to 
enclosure,  and  made  reflections  on  natural  history. 

The  ordinary  European  has,  generally  speaking,  but 
feeble  ideas  on  the  subject  of  animals  and  their  special 
qualifications.  Many  take  the  form  of  furs  and  muffs 
after  their  death,  or  call  branches  of  industry  into 
being,  as  for  instance  the  glove  dog ;  and  others  are 
really  only  created  that  they  may  be  stuffed.  I  have 
always  been  highly  amused  when  people  in  the  "  Zoo  " 
affect  to  have  had  a  University  education  at  the  very 
least,  but  cover  themselves  with  confusion  when  the 
labels  on  the  rails  are  turned  the  wrong  way,  and 
make  mistakes  in  their  natural  history  as  regularly  as 
do  people  of  a  normal  standard.  On  such  occasions 
they  do  not  know  whether  the  cassowary  really  is 
the  cassowary,  or  something  similar  from  the  same 
country ;  are  brought  to  an  utter  standstill  when  sev- 
eral animals  are  railed  in  together,  and  are  not  a  whit 
the  wiser  when  they  see  an  old  friend  such  as  a  horned 
owl. 

I  admit  that  the  Doctor  for  the  most  part  gave  a 
side  glance  first  towards  the  tablets  bearing  the  ani- 
mals' names,  but  I  expect  it  can  only  have  been  to  see 
whether  they  were  in  their  right  places;  for  what  he 
knows,  he  does  know. 

We  saw  some  young  tigers  in  the  house  of  the  car- 
nivora,  which  had  been  nursed  and  brought  up  by  a 
dog.  The  Doctor  told  us  that  it  had  been  specially 
ordered  from  the  Spreewald,  and  it  was  not  until  I  re- 
marked that  this  was  a  presumptuous  proceeding  on 
the  tiger's  part,  that  he  laughed,  which  showed  me 
that  he  had  been  poking  his  fun  at  us.     I  requested 


1 8  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

him  to  stop  making  such  jokes,  as  they  caused  science 
to  be  depreciated.  However,  he  merely  remarked  as 
usual,  ''  It  is  only  external,  dear  mamma-in-law  I  " 

It  can  be  imagined  that  I  declined  with  thanks  a 
continuation  of  reflections  which  degenerated  into  the 
absurd,  and  we  left  the  house  of  the  beasts  of  prey, 
my  Carl  and  I  in  front,  then  Felix  and  Betti,  followed 
by  Herr  Max  and  his  fiancee,  the  Doctor  and  Emmi 
coming  last,  who  to  my  vexation  were  tittering  to- 
gether, and  had  chosen  one  of  us  as  the  butt  of  their 
mirth.  This  I  could  not  endure,  a  mysterious  gig- 
gling being  really  too  despicable  ;  and  in  my  just  in- 
dignation I  was  on  the  point  of  expediting  a  repri- 
mand, albeit  addressed  to  his  wife,  to  my  doctor  son- 
in-law's  sense  of  hearing,  when  I  was  prevented  doing 
so  by  a  person,  dressed  in  some  faded-looking  sum- 
mer material,  raising  his  straw  hat  and  greeting  us. 
It  was  Herr  Kleines  in  propria  persona.  This  piece  of 
impudence  dashed  the  vessel  of  wrath,  which  had  been 
filled  to  the  brim  on  the  Doctor's  account,  from  my 
hand.  Herr  Kleines  behaved  as  if  nothing  had  ever 
happened  between  us,  and  he  made  use  of  my  aston- 
ishment to  address  us,  and  to  question  me  in  especial 
about  my  health.  In  the  first  bubbling-up  of  my 
anger,  I  was  on  the  point  of  requesting  to  have  the 
pleasure  of  his  company  at  a  greater  distance  ;  but  I 
reflected  that  we  might  perhaps  require  his  help  at 
skat  during  the  winter ;  and  besides,  as  our  daughters 
are  in  firm  hands  now,  he  can  do  no  further  damage 
within  our  four  walls. 

I  therefore  merely  threatened  him  with  my  finger, 
and  said,  "You  are  a  nice  sort  of  person!"  "How 
so  ? "  he  asked,  as  if  he  knew  nothing  about  it. — 
"  Mila,  the  police-lieutenant's  daughter,  had  to  be  sent 
to  a  boarding-school  in  Switzerland  on  your  account," 


In  the  ''  ZooT  19 


I  said  reproachfully. — "  I  am  delighted  if  I  have  been 
the  cause  of  it,"  he  answered  courageously,  "for  she 
was  sadly  in  need  of  the  assistance  that  other  young 
ladies  " — he  bowed  sideways  tow^ards  where  Betti  and 
Emmi  were  standing — "  never  have  required." 

I  could  not  say  that  his  idea  was  altogether  wrong, 
and  so  permitted  him  to  join  our  party.  ''  Did  you 
not  feel  at  all  frightened  when  you  saw  me  again  sud- 
denly just  now  ?"  I  asked  him. — "  No,"  he  answered. 
"  When  you  and  your  dear  ones  left  the  tiger-house  a 
little  while  back,  I  was  forcibly  reminded  of  Noah's 
ark." — "Why  so.?" — "On  account  of  Shem,  Ham, 
and  Japhet,"  he  said  slyly.  And  now  I  was  suddenly 
enlightened  by  a  whole  gasometer.  "  I  don't  suppose 
you  mean  to  insinuate  that  you  take  me  for  a  Mrs. 
Noah  ?  "  I  flew  at  him  ;  but  he  played  his  part  se- 
riously, and  remarked  indignantly:  "  Excuse  me  ;  I 
thought  that  you  understood  a  joke  !  " 

I  was  silent,  and  cast  a  glance  towards  our  party, 
which  certainly  might  have  attracted  attention,  owing 
to  the  way  in  which  it  was  made  up  of  couples, 
although  I  had  j-ust  been  rejoicing  over  our  numbers. 
And  now  Herr  Kleines'  remark  gave  rise  to  the  fear 
that  perhaps  others  had  had  the  same  spiteful  thoughts 
about  us  as  he,  while  we  were  unsuspectingly  walking 
about. 

In  such  wise  may  the  most  mirthful  ease  be  changed 
into  a  by  no  means  elevating  feeling  of  undefined 
wrong-doing  by  one  single  relentlessly-dropped  word, 
and  therefore  I  turned  over  in  my  mind  how  we  were  to 
reach  our  reserved  table,  with  avoidance  of  our  double 
goose-walk.  Fate  lent  us  her  assistance  here  as  she 
has  often  done  during  my  life,  but  without  my  feeling 
that  any  special  thanks  were  due  to  her  for  it,  for  even 
the  remembrance  is  not  what  may  be  called  a  pleasure. 


20  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

The  children  were  anxious  to  go  and  see  the  bears, 
which  have  extremely  funny  attributes  for  the  amuse- 
ment of  young  and  old,  and  which  are  allowed  to  be 
fed.  So  up  we  clambered  to  the  top  of  the  den,  from 
whence  an  insight  into  zoological  depths  may  be  ob- 
tained, and  small  morsels  be  thrown  to  the  bears, 
which  they  catch  with  very  droll  demeanour.  It  was 
pretty  full,  but  we  pushed  our  way  through  and  stood 
close  to  the  parapet,  to  see  the  performance  thor- 
oughly. 

Herr  Felix  had  brought  some  cracknels,  and  Betti 
was  amusing  herself  by  apportioning  small  pieces  to 
the  bears,  which  she  threw  down  into  the  water,  the 
clumsy  creatures  taking  the  morsels  out  of  it  with 
their  paws.  While  this  innocent  entertainment  was  in 
full  swing,  Frieda  wanted  to  see  something  of  it  too, 
and  endeavoured  to  squeeze  herself  in  between  Felix 
and  Betti.  Naturally  Felix  looked  round  to  see  who 
was  pushing  in  like  that,  whereupon  she  knocked  him 
with  one  of  her  clumsy  elbows,  and  down  tumbled  the 
beautiful  new  hat  into  the  cage.  This  was  fun  indeed 
for  the  spectators.  I  screamed,  "  The  hat — the  new 
hat !  " — which  was  followed  by  another  outburst  of 
mirth. 

Meanwhile  the  biggest  bear  dragged  himself  across 
to  where  the  hat  was  lying,  sniffed  it  all  round,  bela- 
boured it  so  with  its  paw,  that  in  an  instant  the  hat 
was  crumpled  up  into  the  shape  of  a  concertina.  The 
spectators,  so  far  as  they  were  not  composed  of  our 
family,  were  inordinately  delighted,  for  now  the  bear 
proceeded  to  take  the  hat,  stuck  one  paw  inside  it, 
and  then  surveyed  it  to  see  what  else  he  might  be 
able  to  do  with  it,  and  sat  down  while  doing  so  just 
like  a  Christian,  Every  one's  attention  was  strained 
to  the  uttermost.     Suddenly  a  voice  exclaimed  quite 


In  the  ^^ ZooT  2\ 


loud,  "  He  is  going  to  iron  it  now,"  and  that  at  the 
very  moment  that  the  monster  rushed  at  the  hat  again, 
and  so  to  speak  split  it  up  into  several  fractions  with 
its  vile  claws.  Such  shouts  of  derisive  laughter  as 
followed  upon  this  ! — they  are  still  ringing  in  my  ears, 
together  with  the  offensive  remarks  of  a  plebeian  mul- 
titude. May  T  never  hear  the  like.  But  the  fun  did 
not  come  to  an  end  until  the  beast  had  worried  the 
brand-new  stately  beaver  into  a  scandalous  mass  of 
tatters.  Herr  Felix  had  to  look  on  bare-headed  at  the 
sacrificial  rite,  and  feel  uncomfortably  conscious,  in 
which  latter  pleasure  Betti  helped  him.  She  was  v€ry 
near  crying. 

But  who  was  the  author  of  the  contemptible  excla- 
mation which  had  unloosed  the  mocking  jeers  of  the 
multitude  ?  Need  it  be  said  that  it  was  none  other 
than  Herr  Kleines^  who  never  considers  what  he  is 
doing. 

However,  on  this  occasion  he  may  have  seen  that 
his  behaviour  needed  a  quick  atonement,  if  he  did  not 
wish  to  destroy  his  chances  with  us  for  ever  and  ever ; 
therefore  he  hurried  off  at  once  to  acquire  as  a  loan  a 
head-covering  from  one  of  the  waiters.  Herr  Max 
made  excuses  for  his  fiancSe,  and  offered  his  hat  to 
Felix  ;  but  as  Frieda's  face  exhibited  great  repug- 
nance at  this,  although  she  had  been  the  authoress  of 
the  mischief,  Felix  refused  it.     She  is  a  silly  thing ! 

It  was  just  like  the  girl !  Generally  speaking,  if  a 
girl  'is  staying  with  one  for  a  lengthy  period,  even  if 
one  does  not  love  her,  still  she  becomes  bearable,  and 
one  grows  callous  to  her  defects  ;  but  one  can  only  get 
disaccustomed  to  this  girl.  Her  face  is  not  ugly,  the 
colouring  is  healthy,  although  complexion  is  the  most 
evanescent  of  marriage  gifts.  Her  figure  inclines 
pretty  much  to  breadth,  but  then  that  is  pleasing  to 


I'  2T^--- 


Z2  Frail    Wilhclmine. 

many.  But  the  little  bit  of  beauty  and  figure  fade 
away,  while  the  disposition  remains;  and  as  soon  as 
that  is  worthless,  it  is  little  marvel  that  marriage 
should  degenerate  into  discomfort,  and  the  husband 
feel  happiest  everywhere,  where  she  is  not. 

Herr  Kleines  came  bustling  up  after  a  while,  and  he 
really  had  fished  up  a  hat;  but  as  might  have  been  ex- 
pected, it  was  unusable.  When  Felix  put  on  this  ob- 
ject, which  certainly  must  have  been  through  a  hurri- 
cane or  a  New  Year's  night  somewhere  or  other,  he 
looked  a  pitiful  sight.  The  rest  of  his  finery  was  an- 
nihilated; he  could  not  let  himself  be  gazed  upon  by 
men  In  such  a  disfigurement.  Betti  was  furious,  but 
she  choked  down  her  wrath,  in  order  that  Max's 
fiancee  should  not  notice  her  weakness. 

There  was  no  amusement  to  be  got  out  of  loitering 
for  ever  and  a  day  about  those  generally  objectionable 
bears,  which  are  also  quite  superfluous  in  nature,  as 
they  only  serve  to  populate  the  jungles.  Could  not 
creation  have  taken  something  more  civilized  instead 
of  wild  beasts  ? 

The  supper-hour  drew  near,  and  so  we  determined 
to  make  a  start,  although  we  should  have  liked  it  to 
be  rather  darker,  especially  as  my  Carl  was  beginning 
to  get  hungry.  Herr  Felix  intended  trying  to  reach 
our  table  along  unnoticed  bye-paths,  and  that  rather 
hatless  than  in  the  waiter's  helmet,  which  I  am  almost 
inclined  to  take  for  a  practical  joke.  I  divided  the 
remainder  of  our  party  into  four  retiring  companies, 
so  as  to  get  rid  of  the  similarity  to  the  ark,  but  Betti 
insisted  on  remaining  with  Felix.  I  said  to  my  Carl, 
"  If  she  bears  an  annoyance  that  has  drifted  down 
upon  her  path  so  well  while  she  is  only  a  bride  elect, 
she  will  remain  steadfast  to  her  husband  in  later  life, 
should  misfortune  overtake  him;  which   God   forbid." 


WWt'^'W^^??^-' 


In  the  ^^ Zoo."  23 


— "  The  right  people  have  come  together,"  answered 
my  Carl,  "  and  that  is  well."  Upon  this  I  wished  to  ex- 
press my  opinion  concerning  Max  and  his  flame;  but 
I  was  dumb,  in  order  not  to  break  my  oath  and  lose 
my  journey  to  Switzerland. 

After  the  lapse  of  some  time  we  all  met  together  at 
our  table,  and  Betti  and  Felix  arrived  just  as  the  or- 
chestra was  trumpeting  the  arrival  of  Lohengrin.  She 
had  advised  him  to  hold  the  old  hat  at  his  side,  as  if 
he  had  just  taken  it  off  on  account  of  the  heat,  and  it 
really  looked  very  well.  The  public  had  noticed  no- 
thing, and  the  two  were  immensely  pleased  with  Bet- 
ti's  idea.  "  I  am  getting  a  wise  woman  for  my  wife," 
Herr  Schmidt  remarked  politely. — "  Just  like  her  mo- 
ther," said  the  Doctor. — "And  Betti  is  not  getting  a 
dealer  in  personalities,"  I  returned  his  gibe. 

Everybody  consulted  their  own  taste  in  looking 
through  the  bill  of  fare.  I  decided  in  favour  of  a  tench 
with  dill;  *  and  when  I  asked,  "  I  suppose,  Herr  Felix, 
that  you  will  take  a  tench  too,"  he  chose  the  same. 
The  Doctor  ordered  a  baked  pike,  if  possible  one 
whose  head  extended  beyond  the  dish,  and  endeavour- 
ed to  convert  Felix  to  his  choice  likewise;  but  he  did 
not  succeed  in  stirring  up  a  spirit  of  rebellion.  My  hus- 
band looked  through  the  bill  of  fare  with  constantly 
growing  irresolution,  until  at  last  I  asked  him,  "  Well, 
what  are  you  thinking  of,  my  Carl  ?  A  fowl  with  cu- 
cumber salad,  and  a  well-ripened  Harzer  f  to  follow,  I 
suppose  ! " — and  that  really  was  what  he  had  been 
thinking  of. 

The  rest  of  us  had  finished  long  before  Herr  Max's 

*  A  herb  much  used  in  Berlin  cookery  for  purposes  of  flavouring. 
—Trans. 

+  A  cheese  manufactured  in  the  Hartz  Mountains. — Trans. 


24  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

fiancie  stopped  picking  about  on  her  plate,  as  if  the 
food  was  not  good  enough  for  her  ;  and  then  she 
sj)rawled  in  such  an  unmannerly  fashion  over  the  table, 
and  spoke  never  a  word  !  Neither  did  Herr  Max  say 
anything,  but  there  was  a  reason  for  that — he  was 
ashamed  of  the  chosen  one  of  his  heart,  and  grief  and 
vexation  gnawed  away  the  words  from  his  tongue ; 
but  Frieda  took  it  quite  coolly.  I  fear  that  it  will  not 
come  to  a  happy  end. 

As  we  intended  taking  a  little  turn  in  the  Park  in  the 
enchanting  moonlight,  we  had  meanwhile  left  the  table. 
When  Herr  Max  rose,  I  saw  that  he  had  come  to  some 
resolution.  He  was  trembling  with  excitement,  and 
his  voice  sounded  as  if  his  throat  were  parched,  when 
he  said  with  forced  quiet,  "  Felix,  give  me  the  old 
hat  and  take  mine  instead." — "  I  beg  that  you  won't 
make  an  exhibition  of  yourself  !  "  screamed  h\s  fiancee. 
— He  only  exclaimed,  "  Frieda  !  "  but  there  was  some- 
thing in  the  way  he  said  it,  and  she  held  her  tongue, — 
"  Many  thanks,  my  boy,"  answered  Felix  ;  "  but  don't 
make  troubles  for  yourself  on  my  account.  One  may 
go  through  the  country  hat  in  hand,  and  the  Park 
as  well." 

As  we  were  dawdling  along  the  shady  side-walks 
and  revelling  in  the  moonlight  that  seemed  to  dot  the 
paths  and  trees  with  whitewash,  I  said  to  my  husband, 
"  How  can  he  misunderstand  his  gifts  so  utterly  and 
engage  himself  to  such  a  girl  ? " 

My  Carl  was  silent. 

"  Tliere  will  be  a  tragedy  there,"  I  recommenced 
after  a  pause  ;  "  the  best  that  could  be  done  would  be 
to  kill  her  at  once." — "  Who  ? "  asked  my  Carl. — "  Frie- 
da," I  answered  testily;  "who  else  should  it  be?" — 
"Are  you  troubled  concerning  Herr  Max's  future  ?" — 
"Yes,  that  I  am." — "Very  glad  to  hear  it,"  retorted 


A  Ladies^  Coffee-Party.  25 

my  Carl ;  "according  to  my  calculations,  your  journey 
will  come  to  nothing." 

I  was  silent  from  this  moment. 


A  LADIES'  COFFEE-PARTY. 

About  worn-out  wheels  and  boasting — Why  life  is  full  of  debts  and 
Frau  Krause  does  not  sit  on  the  sofa — About  gymnastics,  music, 
and  the  picture  of  Sais — Why  experiences  are  interesting  and 
Augusta  rushes  to  the  rescue — About  universal  plaster,  counts 
and  barons — About  social  niceties  and  pasted-up  clocks — Loving 
judgments. 

It  is  years  since  I  have  left  ofif  getting  enthusiastic 
about  single-row  parties.  I  mean  those  where  only  one 
sort  of  human  beings  meet  each  other,  either  only 
ladies  or  only  gentlemen.  And  why  so  ?  They  all  of 
them  amount  to  the  same  thing.  And  how  soon  one 
comes  to  an  end  of  one's  subjects  if  quarrels  are  to  be 
avoided  ! — though  indeed  these  are  fairly  inevitable  if 
Frau  Bergfeldt  is  to  be  found  in  the  same  circle,  or 
any  one  akin  to  her,  such  as  Frau  Beckmann.  First 
of  all  they  ask  about  my  recipe  for  cooking  carp  in 
beer,  and  after  I  have  explained  it  exhaustively  to 
them,  one  or  the  other  grumbles  on  the  next  occasion 
that  after  all  her  husband  prefers  them  as  they  have 
always  been  served,  and  that  the  children  did  not  care 
about  them  either.     Disagreeable  little  brats  ! 

And  what  was  the  reason  for  it  ? 

Why,  naturally,  that  she  listened  with  both  ears 
while  I  was  telling  her  about  the  laurel-leaves  and 
peppercorns,  and  with  a  lazy  effort  of  memory  took 
both  hands  full  of  them  afterwards.  If  one  tells  her 
that  she   must  have  seasoned  it  much  too  highly,  she 


4  «-r.-<Tt;J^^'t5*^Ti6^ii7? 


26  Frati   Wilhelmine. 

insists  that  she  had  not  put  in  a  mite  more  than  she 
had  been  told  ;  upon  this  I  convict  her  of  a  mistake, 
which  she  in  turn  disputes  ;  and  so  retort  follows 
upon  reply,  until  the  grandest  discord  is  reached.  Any- 
one possessing  knowledge  of  the  world  will  agree  with 
me  herein  ;  and  whosoever  sucks  reason  from  life  as 
the  bee  sucks  honey  even  from  such  flowers  as  really 
do  not  possess  any,  will  give  up  at  last  trying  to  con- 
vince other  people. 

Therefore  the  invitation  to  a  coffee-party  with  which 
Frau  Bergfeldt  had  honoured  me,  was  not  likely  to 
cause  me  much  pleasure  in  anticipation,  and  I  would 
gladly  have  given  it  up,  had  my  Carl  not  lent  it  a  help- 
ing hand.  *' Wilhelmine,"  he  explained  to  me,  "you 
may  perhaps  hurt  her  more  by  your  refusal  than  you 
think.  It  is  unfortunately  true  that  the  Bergfeldts 
have  gone  back  in  the  world,  since  they  have  had  to 
make  shift  to  live  on  his  wretched  pension,  given 
after  his  superiors  recognised  in  the  old  man,  a  played- 
out  wheel  of  the  bureaucratic  machine,  out  of  which 
no  amount  of  repairs  could  wrest  further  use.  Will 
you  make  their  downtrodden  position  more  palpable 
to  them  by  your  neglect  ?  Will  she  not  be  forced  to 
interpret  your  absence  as  an  intentional  rupture,  by 
which  you  intend  giving  her  to  understand — You  are 
not  good  enough  for  me,  now  that  you  have  less  to 
live  upon  than  formerly  ?  " 

"  Carl,"  I  interrupted  him,  ''  what  Frau  Bergfeldt 
assumes  is  certain  not  to  coincide  with  nature,  there- 
fore it  may  be  all  one  to  me." 

"But  supposing  she  hits  the  right  nail  on  the  head  this 
time,  and  says,  Herr  Buchholz  has  been  doing  a  good 
business,  and  his  v/ife  has  set  herself  up  on  the  strength 
of  it.     I  should  not  have  thought  her  so  stupid  ? " 

"  Carl !  " 


A    Ladies'  Cojfee-Psrty.  27 

He  passed  his  hand  over  my  forehead,  as  if  he 
wished  carefully  to  brush  away  some  dust,  and  looked 
kindly  into  my  eyes,  "  Pride  and  stupidity  grow  on 
the  same  tree,"  he  said. — "  I  know  people  of  whom 
that  may  be  said,"  I  answered.  "  What  but  pride  has 
been  the  ruin  of  the  Bergfeldts  ?  And  the  branch  upon 
which  this  fruit  flourishes,  is  she,  the  wife.  No  factory 
chimney  was  too  high  for  her — she  wanted  to  soar 
above  them  all.  Did  she  cast  a  glance  towards  us  at 
the  time  that  she  thought  her  Emil  was  going  to  make 
her  mother-in-law  to  a  millionaire  ?  No.  Were  we 
invited  to  the  wedding  ?  No.  Did  she  make  one  step 
towards  us  so  long  as  her  boasted  parade  had  not 
come  to  a  terrible  end  ?  No." — "  But  when  you  were 
in  trouble  owing  to  the  law  proceedings,  she  visited 
you  with  all  her  old  cordiality." 

"  Carl,  do  you  call  it  cordiality  if  a  person  glue^  her- 
self to  you,  and  terrifies  you  with  the  gallows  and  the 
wheel  ? — that  too  when  I  was  as  innocent  as  could  be,- 
and  the  whole  thing  nothing  but  a  vile  proceeding  on 
the  cook's  part." 

"  But  she  meant  it  well." 

"  And  therefore  I  went  to  see  her  again  with  all  due 
propriety  ;  but  I  will  not  encourage  her  boastfulness 
by  my  presence.  As  it  is,  she  has  barely  room  to  move 
in.  The  front  rooms  are  let,  and  the  back*  room  in 
which  she  and  her  old  husband  fiddle-faddle  about  is 
no  suitable  place  for  society,  even  when  it  only  con- 
sists of  a  small  addition.  Where  then  is  she  to  spread 
out  her  coffee  feast  ?  " 

"  I  see  that  you  mean  to  be  obstinate,"  said  my  Carl, 
crossly,  "and  so  you  must  just  do  as  you  please  ;  but 

\  *  "  Berliner  Zimmer  "  (back  room)  is  a  room  running  along  and 
borrowing  its  light  from  the  passage  ;  commonly  used  as  bed-  or 
dining-room . — Trans. 


28  Frau  Wilhelmine. 

remember  that  you  will  grieve  Augusta  too,  who  pro- 
vides for  her  parents,  so  far  as  in  her  lies,  with  such 
touching  affection." 

I  reflected  for  a  little,  and  then  yielded  the  point. 
*'  Well  then,  for  Augusta's  sake  I  will  plunge  into  the 
mess  of  chicory  ;  but  I  shall  only  stay  for  one  short 
hour  at  the  very  outside,  according  to  the  ways  of  po- 
lite society,  which  consist  in  leaving  early." 

"  You  can  arrange  that  as  you  like,"  said  my  Carl ; 
"the  principal  thing  is  that  you  should  not  embitter  a 
small  pleasure  to  those  whose  life  has  become  very 
poor  in  pleasures." — "  Is  that  my  fault  ?  Oh,  no  ;  but 
they " 

My  husband  cut  short  my  sentence  with  the  door, 
and  had  left  the  room  before  I  was  able  to  refresh  his 
memory  about  bygone  days. 

By  paying  ten  pfennigs  and  taking  the  town  train 
from  the  Alexander-platz  to  the  station  in  the  Fried- 
richs-strasse,  one  single  bend  round  the  corner  will 
lead  you  directly  into  the  Dorotheen-strasse,  where 
the  Bergfeldts  have  settled  down  in  the  fourth  story, 
because  that  is  a  good  locality  for  letting,  although 
the  young  folk  frequently  change,  and  move  out  with 
their  trunks  as  easily  as  they  move  in.  Frau  Bergfeldt 
told  me  that  a  new  lodger  frequently  came  in  before 
she  had  cleared  away  the  ashes  of  the  last  man's  to- 
bacco ;  but  then  too  the  room  often  stood  empty,  and 
when  that  happened  she  had  to  try  and  drag  some- 
thing more  out  of  the  next-comer,  for  life  is  short  and 
full  of  debts. 

And  now,  instead  of  stinting,  she  must  make  her 
calculations  to  give  a  coffee-party,  so  that  one  has  the 
feeling  of  working  towards  the  enlargement  of  the 
family  deficit  with  every  mouthful,  and  this  causes 
the  intended   feast  to  result  in  smiling  offering  and 


A    Ladies'  Coffee-Party.  29 

pressing,  and  just  as  smiling  thanking  and  declining, 
and  to  make  one  heartily  praise  one's  Creator  when 
the  mutual  hypocrisy  comes  to  an  end.  But  my  hus- 
band wished  it,  and  I  submitted.  It  is  just  the  same 
to  men  whether  women  suffer  or  not ;  they  are  want- 
ing in  our  more  delicate  organisation  ! 

I  arrived  with  a  considerable  amount  of  distaste, 
and  with  apprehensions  which  were  quite  justified  by 
former  behaviour  ;  but  on  her  side  Frau  Bergfeldt 
received  me  with  a  wealth  of  affection  to  which  she 
seemed  to  have  habituated  herself,  especially  for  this 
day.  She  greeted  me  with  a  tender  embrace  which 
would  have  degenerated  into  a  kiss  of  welcome  had  I 
possessed  less  powerful  arms  to  ward  off  all  who  ap^ 
proached  me  too  nearly. 

The  back  room  had  been  turned  into  a  ladies'  room, 
the  beds  serving  as  receptacles  for  bonnets  and  cloalcs 
while  the  society  assembled  in  the  best  room,  where 
her  best  things  were  kept,  and  which  was  let  with  the 
dressing-room.  "Well,"  I  thought,  "  if  it  just  hap- 
pens to  be  free,  it  may  as  well  be  used,"  and  I  entered. 

The  remaining  ladies  who  had  been  invited  were 
already  present,  and  the  accommodation  for  sitting, 
with  the  exception  of  a  sofa-corner  specially  reserved 
for  me,  had  all  been  laid  claim  to.  Everybody  spoke 
to  every  one  else,  and  was  introduced.  Most  of  the 
people  were  known  to  me,  as  Frau  Krause,  Frau 
Beckmann,  Frau  Helbich,  but  I  now  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  Frau  Schiller  and  Frau  Stahl.  Frau 
Stahl  sat  in  the  other  sofa-corner,  and  was  the  owner 
of  the  house,  so  that  she  and  I  occupied,  so  to  speak, 
the  places  of  honour,  a  fact  that  stuck  in  Frau 
Krause's  throat;  for,  first  of  all,  her  usual  smiling  so- 
ciety face  was  puckered  into  very  ill-tempered  looking 
wrinkles,  and   secondly,   she  repeated   several   times, 


*     f  l^'^lsT^^"^^  "^^  i 


30  Frau   Wilhelinine. 

without  any  one  wishing  to  know  it,  "  No,  I  dislike 
sitting  on  the  sofa  ;  I  am  glad  to  resign  that  honour 
to  my  elders  and  betters." 

As  if  she  had  reason  to  pride  herself  on  her  youth- 
fulness  !  Why,  judging  from  her  attenuated  appear- 
ance, it  is  b)'  no  means  impossible  that  Schliemann 
excavated  her  certificate  of  baptism  at  Troy,  near 
where  Priam's  was  found,  on  the  third  door  to  the  left. 
If  a  person  behaves  like  that  to  me,  I  behave  the  same 
to  her ! 

Giving  her  the  benefit  of  my  back,  I  addressed  my- 
self to  Frau  Stalil,  and  asked  her  if  she  had  had  spring 
cabbages  already. — "  They  are  still  too  dear  for  me," 
she  grumbled.  "  I  cannot  afford  sixty  pfennigs  for  a 
bushel,  with  husband,  four  children,  and  a  serving 
girl." — "  We  only  pay  five  groschen  for  them  in  the 
market  on  the  Alexander-platz." — ■'■'■  Everything  is  a  bit 
dearer  with  us  here  in  the  Dorotheen-strasse,"  she 
groaned;  "though  most  things  ought  to  be  cheaper 
now  in  these  hard  times.  Duties  and  taxes  become 
larger  every  year.  They  calculate  to  the  last  groschen 
what  we  householders  have,  and  when  rents  are  not 
duly  paid  up  we  come  to  grief." — "Are  you  satisfied 
with  your  tenants  ?  "  I  questioned,  in  order  to  discover 
exactly  how  matters  stood  with  the  Bergfeldts  ;  for 
people  who  have  something  to  get  are  pitilessly  com- 
municative. 

To  my  astonishment  she  did  not  complain,  but  in- 
formed me  with  great  satisfaction  that  Frau  Bergfeldt 
had  always  brought  the  money  before  nine  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  Therefore  she  was  on  very  good  terms 
with  her,  and  allowed  her  to  have  musical  instruments 
in  her  rooms  without  raising  the  rent — a  thing  that 
she  did  not  generally  permit  in  her  house,  as  those 
who  practised  usually  drove  away  the  other  inmates  ; 


A    Ladies    Coffee-Party.  31 

and  indeed,  if  they  all  began  making  a  noise  on  them, 
she  would  be  forced  to  look  out  for  a  dwelling  for  her- 
self under  one  of  the  railway  arches.  Too  much  music 
gave  her  neuralgia.  "  People  played  in  my  younger 
days,  too,"  she  said  ;  "  but  nowadays  they  thump  more 
furiously  than  ever,"  ^ 

"  It  must  be  the  result  of  gymnastic  exercises,"  re- 
marked Frau  Beckmann  ;  "  that  strengthens  their 
muscles  so  much." 

"  I  allow  no  one  to  bring  a  violin  into  the  house,* 
continued  Frau  Stahl ;  "  it  sounds  as  if  they  were  saw- 
ing one's  bones.  Violin-players  may  go  to  Weissensee 
and  scrape  a  measure  for  the  tadpoles  ;  and  as  for 
singers,  who  clear  their  throats  in  the  early  morning 
with  a  shake,  I  simply  drive  them  away." 

The  communication  about  the  Bergfeldts*  pecuniary 
circumstances  tranquillised  me  somewhat,  and  had  a 
favourable  effect  on  the  coffee  that  was  now  being 
offered  to  us,  which  would,  however,  have  been  better 
if  she  had  not  made  it  quite  so  strong.  As  for  myself, 
I  was  obliged  to  ask  for  some  hot  water  to  add  to  it. 

She  had  also  used  the  good  cups  which  dated  from 
former  years,  and  had  preserved  their  gilding  aston- 
ishingly. The  coffee-pot  had  been  broken  on  some 
previous  occasion,  for  which  reason  the  pouring-out 
had  been  done  in  the  kitchen,  and  she  brought  the 
tray  in  with  full  cups  upon  it.  In  addition  to  the 
pound-cake,  there  were  sponge-cakes,  crisp  pastry,  and 
apricot-jam  on  small  glass  dishes,  which  I  at  once  rec- 
ognised as  belonging  to  Augusta. 

"  And  where  is  Frau  Weigelt  ?  "  I  asked. — "  My 
daughter  is  coming  directly,"  answered  Frau  Berg- 
feldt  quickly,  "  as  soon  as  she  has  attended  to  the 
kitchen." — I  knew  enough  now.  Augusta,  who  let 
herself  be  attended  upon  hand  and  foot  and  run  after 


32  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

by  her  mother  during  her  objectionable  bread-and- 
butter  days,  now  took  the  work  off  her  shoulders  with 
devoted  willingness,  strained  the  coffee  and  washed 
the  cups,  while  old  Herr  Bergfeldt  was  pottering  about 
her  in  the  kitchen.  Indeed,  they  could  not  have  hid- 
den him  anywhere  else,  for  we  did  not  discover  him 
behind  the  bed-screen  when  we  were  taking  off  our 
things  in  the  back  room. 

While  I  was  still  considering  how  sadly  the  old  man 
was  situated,  and  how  difficult  it  would  be  to  turn  the 
conversation  upon  him  without  destroying  the  very 
communicative  disposition  which  now  prevailed,  Frau 
Krause  asked  loudly,  "  I  say,  Frau  Bergfeldt,  is  there 
any  truth  in  what  folks  are  telling  each  other,  that 
your  husband  has  to  go  to  the  hospital,  to  the  third 
court,  where  the  incurables  are  ? " 

The  angel  that  now  suddenly  passed  through  the 
room  was  no  common  one.  Frau  Helbich  looked  as 
if  a  hailstone  had  shot  down  immediately  beside  her, 
and  the  fright  caused  my  hand,  in  which  was  a  tea- 
spoon full  of  preserve,  to  remain  stretched  out  like  the 
petrified  image  of  Sais.  Wrath  caused  Frau  Stahl  to 
assume  a  perpendicular  position,  and  say,  with  a  look 
of  rebuke  directed  towards  Frau  Krause,  "  Goodness 
gracious,  what  a  question  !  " — Upon  this  Frau  Schiller 
remarked,  "And  what  is  the  old  gentleman  doing?" 
Frau  Beckmann  got  a  fit  of  the  hiccoughs,  the  angel 
w^ithdrew  slowly,  and  conversation  once  more  resumed 
its  course,  though  only  in  driblets. 

As  Frau  Bergfeldt  did  not  make  up  her  mind  at 
once  how  best  she  could  serv'^e  Frau  Krause  out,  I  un- 
dertook the  office  of  retribution,  and  said,  "You  have 
made  a  most  ridiculous  mistake,  my  dear  ;  Herr  Berg- 
feldt has  improved  immensely  since  last  winter,  so  no 
doubt  you  will  wish  to  withdraw  your  remark  about 


A    Ladies^  Coffee-Party.  33 

the  incurables.  Providence  often  works  in  a  marvel- 
lous way,  and  can  make  him  quite  strong  and  hearty 
again  in  a  short  time." — "  Providence  is  merely  a  figure 
of  speech,"  she  retorted  ;  for  her  husband,  being  a 
master  and  enlightened  to  the  last  degree,  a  reflection 
of  his  glory  falls  upon  her. — "  Indeed  ? "  I  questioned  ; 
but  this  "  indeed  "  was  written  in  capital  letters.  "  If 
Providence  had  not  possessed  sufficient  insight  to  de- 
vote its  attention  to  the  lake  at  Tegel  some  years  ago, 
I  wonder  what  would  have  happened  then  ?  But  peo- 
ple have  tact,  and  do  not  discuss  the  question." — 
"  He-he  !  "  Frau  Krause  gave  a  short  snappish  laugh, 
but  she  had  difficulty  in  smiling  her  parched  lips  away 
from  the  teeth  that  were  pressed  against  them.  "  He- 
he  !  There  is  not  a  word  of  truth  in  it !  " — and  glar- 
ing at  me  like  a  viper  gnashing  its  teeth  in  its  wrath, 
she  continued  with  ill-timed  scorn  :  "  Frau  Buchholz 
gets  more  and  more  peculiar.  For  years  she  has  been 
imagining  something  utterly  incomprehensible  to  me, 
that  is  supposed  to  have  happened  at  Tegel ;  and  be- 
ing unsuccessful  in  her  imaginings,  she  now  calls 
Providence  to  the  rescue.  Who  is  there  that  still  be- 
lieves in  Providence  in  the  present  advanced  age, 
which  has  provided  us  with  steam  trams,  telephones, 
and  the  electric  lighting  of  the  Leipziger-strasse  ? " 

Before  I  could  level  a  well-directed  ace  of  trumps 
against  her  persuasive  eloquence,  Frau  Beckmann 
interposed  and  delivered  herself  as  follows  :  "  I  am 
against  it  too — I  mean  as  touching  Providence  ;  for  I 
don't  suppose  that  any  one  will  dispute  what  I  have 
experienced  myself."  We  all  held  our  tongues  and 
turned  our  heads  attentively  in  the  direction  of  Frau 
Beckmann,  in  order  not  to  lose  a  syllable  of  her  expe- 
riences, for  they  are  always  the  most  interesting  things 
to  listen  to,  though  they  are  mostly  only  a  tissue  of 


■  '*:<%:^rfm^r 


34  Frau   Wilhelmme. 

inventions  ;  and  on  this  occasion  we  were  obliged  to 
listen  more  carefully  than  ever,  as  hiccoughs  inter- 
posed continual  commas  in  her  speech. 

Meanwhile  Frau  Helbich  had  recovered,  and  began 
to  put  in  her  word  against  Frau  Krause  and  Frau 
Beckmann.  "  I  have  experienced  Providence  too,"  she 
exclaimed  bravely,  "just  as  well  as  other  people,  and 
I  say  that  there  is  one."  Absolute  excitement  sent 
water  to  her  eyes,  and  her  little  podgy  body  quivered 
with  inward-indignation.  "  Don't — excite  yourselves," 
hiccoughed  Frau  Beckmann.  "What  I  am  about  to 
tell  you,  happened — to  the  very  letter.  When,  some 
two  years  ago, — or  it  may  perhaps  be  three, — we 
wanted  to  go  one  Sunday  to  Steglitz,  an  unforeseen 
impediment  hindered  our  doing  so.  I  cannot  remem- 
ber whether  visitors  came  to  us,  or  whether  we  were 
unexpectedly  invited  by  friends — enough,  a " 

"  You  really  should  do  something  to  stop  the  hic- 
coughs," I  interrupted  her,  for  her  everlasting  commas 
were  abominably  trying.  "It  is  a  capital  remedy  to 
eat  three  morsels  of  bread  slowly,  or  to  hold  a  sharp 
knife  against  you." — "  It  is  ail-but  gone,"  she  an- 
swered. 

Frau  Schiller,  who  is  an  intimate  friend  of  Frau 
Beckmann  (nothing  very  refined,  and  makes  sad  work 
of  her  vowels  and  consonants),  got  up  suddenly,  and 
taking  a  sharp  grip  of  Frau  Beckmann's  shoulders  from 
behind,  she  shrieked  in  an  awful  voice,  "  Fire  !  " 

Frau  Beckmann  flew  up  from  her  chair  and  scream- 
ed, the  rest  of  us  jumped  up  too,  and  were  not  behind- 
hand with  our  shrieks,  each  one  being  paler  than  the 
other  with  terror-stricken  surprise.  Augusta,  too,  who 
had  remained  on  the  other  side  of  the  door  till  now, 
rushed  in  in  a  fright,  and  asked:  "  Good  heavens  ! 
what  is  the    matter  ?  " — "  Nothing  !  "  answered   Frau 


A  Ladies    Coffee-Party.  35 

Schiiler;  "  Frau  Beckmann  had  a  fit  of  the  hiccoughs, 
and  so  I  just  gave  her  a  bit  of  a  fright.  Is  it  gone 
now?" — "As  completely  as  if  it  had  been  blown 
away,"  said  Frau  Beckmann.  "A  thorough  fright  is 
always  effectual."  ; 

We  gradually  recovered,  and  were  a"ble  to  give  a 
smiling  opinion  on  what  had  happened.  Augusta,  who 
was  aware  that  we  required  something  to  strengthen 
us,  fetched  some  bitters  which  Frau  Bergfeldt  had 
concocted  herself,  and  which  are  said  to  be  aVery  good 
stomachic,  from  the  cupboard;  but  after  tasting  it,  I 
arrived  at  the  following  decision  :  Rather  an  hour's 
suffering  than  another  drop  of  that.  It  appeared  to 
be  methyllated  spirit  distilled  from  some  poisonous 
trash  from  the  druggist.     And  she  is  able  to  stand  it  ! 

"  What  really  did  happen  about  Providence  ? "  asked 
Frau  Stahl  during  a  pause  in  the  conversation. — "  You 
shall  hear  all  about  it,"  Frau  Beckmann  recommenced, 
"  one  thing  after  the  other,  just  as  it  happened  to  me." 
— Augusta  whispered  a  few  words'  to  her  mother,  who 
cast  a  glance  towards  the  clock  and  shook  her  head, 
upon  which  it  became  clear  to  me  that  there  must  be 
something  below  the  surface.  Had  Ivonly  known  what 
it  was,  I  would  have  made  a  move  to  break  up  the 
party;  but  as  Frau  Bergfeldt  did  not  explain  herself, 
I  let  Frau  Beckmann  twaddle  on,  as  we  were  curious 
to  know  how  Providence  had  behaved  itself. 

"  I  must  tell  you  that  we  did  not  go  to  Steglitz,  and 
it  was  a  real  stroke  of  good  luck;  for  the  next  day  we 
read  in  our  papers,  that  the  train  had  gone  over  ever 
so  many  people,  and  that  several  had  been  killed. 
Had  we  been  on  the  spot  we  should  certainly  have 
come  back  home  as  dead  corpses." 

"Now  do  you  see,"  I  exclaimed  triumphantly,  "who 
elsel)ut  Providence  protected  and  cared  for  you  ?" 


36  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

"  I  said  just  the  same,"  retorted  Frau  Beckmann, 
"and  was  positively  certain  of  it.  But  just  imagine, 
three  days  later  I  fell  backwards  down  the  cellar  steps 
with  a  full  bucket  of  ashes,  and  dislocated  my  right 
shoulder.  What  was  Providence  about  then  ?  I  was 
laid  by  with  it  for  a  fortnight,  and  even  now  I  can 
hardly  raise  my  arm  to  do  my  hair." 

"  You  should  have  got  a  groschen's-worth  each  of 
lard  and  oil  of  St.  John's  wort,"  said  Frau  Stahl.  "  It 
did  an  acquaintance  of  mine  an  immense  amount  of 
good,  and  she  recommended  it  strongly  to  me." — "  For 
a  dislocated  shoulder  too?" — "No;  her  trouble  v/as 
more  in  her  leg — something  of  rheumatism,  I  believe; 
she  called  it  hiskias.  But  the  remedy  has  been  useful 
to  many;  you  simply  rub  it  in  with  a  woollen  rag,  and 
fasten  wadding  over  it  to  keep  it  warm." — "  But  allow 
me,"  I  interposed.  "  Dislocations  and  bruises  ought 
not  to  be  kept  warm;  on  the  contrary,  they  have  to  be 
kept  cool  with  ice  or  lead  lotion." — "I  know  nothing 
about  that,"  answered  Frau  Stahl ;  "  but  so  much  is 
certain,  a  groschen's-worth  each  of  lard  and  oil  of  St. 
John's  wort  is  the  thing." — "We  always  use  spirits  of 
ants,"  remarked  Frau  Helbich;  "it  softens  the  body 
and  disperses  the  blood  from  the  veins." 

"  Universal  plaster  disperses  too,  and  draws  as 
well,"  said  Frau  Schiller.  "  Frau  Beckmann  might 
have  saved  herself  doctor  and  apothecary  had  she 
followed  my  advice.  There  was  a  little  girl  in  our 
neighbourhood  with  a  horribly  bad  finger,  and  as  the 
doctor  said  that  he  would  have  to  use  the  knife,  her 
parents  did  not  let  her  go  to  him.  Who  wants  to  be 
cured  by  being  made  a  cripple  ?  So  accident  brought 
her  to  me,  and  as  soon  as  I  looked  at  tne  nnger  i  saw 
that  it  had  festered  to  the  bone.  *  Good  gi-acious, 
child,'  I  said,  *  why  did  you  not  put  on  universal  plas- 


A  Ladies'  Coffee- Party.  37 

ter  at  once  ? '  Well,  I  gave  her  some,  and  it  really  and 
tinily  would  have  cured  her,  if  the  doctor  had  not  in- 
sisted on  taking  off  half  the  finger.  I  have  had  that 
plaster  in  my  house  for  ten  years,  and  never  once  re- 
quired a  doctor.  They  are  as  ignorant  as  any  one  in 
such  matters." 

I  was  angered  by  this  woman's  uplifting  of  herself 
above  the  medical  profession,  to  which  my  son-in-law 
belongs,  and  by  which  he  must  live ;  I  therefore  per- 
mitted myself  the  question  :  "  Do  you  use  the  plaster 
internally  when  you  are  ill  ? " — "  It  draws  all  unwhole- 
someness  to  the  surface,"  she  answered,  undismayed. 
"There  was  a  woman  in  our  neighbourhood  who  had 

four  doctors  to  see  her " — "  Oh,  I  know  that  storv  ! " 

exclaimed  Frau  Stahl ;  "  so  will  the  ladies  kindly  ex- 
cuse me  for  a  moment? — I  just  want  to  see  whether 
the  girl  is  doing  her  work  or  looking  out  of  the  win- 
dow. As  soon  as  ever  one's  back  is  turned,  they  do 
nothing  but  idle,  and  then  demand  wages  high  enough 
to  ruin  us." 

She  had  scarcely  gone  out  of  hearing  before  she  was 
pulled  to  pieces.  "  I  shouldn't  like  to  be  her  servant," 
said  Frau  Beckmann  ;  "she  has  a  fresh  one  every  fort- 
night."— "  She  is  in  bad  odour  in  every  registry  office." 
— "  The  servant  is  not  even  allowed  time  to  sew  for 
herself." — "  And  the  food  !  Why,  she  gives  her  the 
water  she  rinses  out  the  pots  with,  instead  of  the  fat." — 
"  If  one  could  thrive  on  scoldings,  her  servant  would 
have  been  fattened  long  ago." — "  You  ought  to  see  her 
in  a  rage  !  I  can  tell  you  that  green  fire  flashes  from 
her  eyes." — "  Is  she  any  different  towards  her  hus- 
band?"— "Only  since  the  house  has  been  entered  in 
her  name." — "  And  what  a  fuss  she  makes  about  her 
daughter  !  She  says  that  she  might  mix  with  counts 
and  barons." — "  I  suppose  she  means  with  their  photo- 


38  Fran   Wilhelmine. 

graphs." — '■'■  There  is  nothing  whatever  in  the  daugh- 
ter."— "  Torn  under-clothing  trimmed  with  lace." — 
"  No  one  who  knew  her  would  have  her." — Oh,  good- 
ness me,  what  did  not  the  ladies  know  about  Frau 
Stahl ! 

My  original  intention  hadbeen  to  break  up  the  party 
with  a  courteous  leave-taking  immediately  after  Frau 
Stahl's  departure  ;  but  when  I  saw  how  absent  friends 
were  set  upon,  I  determined  straightway  to  remain  to 
the  very  last,  in  order  not  to  get  my  share  of  abuse. 
Rather  let  me  be  guilty  of  a  breach  of  social  refinement 
than  be  so  hacked  to  pieces.  Besides,  according  to  the 
clock  it  was  only  five.  But  I  do  wish  that  I  had  gone. 
Augusta  took  no  part  in  the  conversation,  which  was 
clearly  objectionable  to  her.  I  therefore  asked  quite 
loudly,  *'  How  are  matters  going  on  at  home,  Augusta  ? 
how  are  the  little  ones  ?  why  did  you  not  bring  them 
with  you  ? " — "  They  are  within  there,"  she  answered 
hesitatingly. — "  And  won't  you  let  us  see  them  ?  Do 
bring  them  in,  Augusta." — "  I  am  afraid  of  their  touch- 
ing the  things  ;  this  room  is  let." — "  But  the  gentleman 
will  not  be  in  before  tea,"  said  the  old  lady  gently  : 
"we  shall  not  be  disturbed." 

Augusta  let  herself  be  persuaded,  and  brought  the 
children  in,  their  entrance  being  a  happy  signal  for 
the  gossip  about  Frau  Stahl  to  cease.  Franz  is  a 
splendid  boy,  obedient  and  modest  ;  little  Kathe,  the 
second,  a  pretty  girl  ;  but  the  third,  on  the  contrary, 
is  a  mere  atom  of  a  child,  weak  and  puny  as  if  it  had 
as  many  cares  already  as  grown-up  people.  The  little 
ones  were  given  cakes  and  preserves,  and  a  little  bit 
of  pastry  from  the  confectioner's.  I  find  it  very  hard 
to  say  No  when  I  see  imploring  children's  eyes,  and 
know  that  their  heart  is  set  upon  it.  But  when 
naughtiness,    overeating,   and   kicking    are    shown,    I 


A  Ladies    Coffee-Party.  39 

come  with  the  stick — that  is  to  say,  figuratively.  Cor- 
rection need  not  be  applied  at  once,  if  only  there  is  no 
giving  in. 

As,  according  to  Augusta,  the  youngest  child  was 
very  fond  of  music,  and  there  was  a  new  cottage  piano 
in  the  room,  a  suggestion  was  made  to  strum  a  few 
bars,  but  none  of  us  were  sufficient  virtuosos  to  do  so 
until  Frau  Stahl  returned,  who  remembered  a  thunder- 
and-lightning  waltz  from  the  days  of  her  youth,  and 
settled  herself  down  to  the  instrument :  first  she  rum- 
bled a  bit  with  the  left  hand  in  the  bass  to  produce 
the  thunder,  and  then  performed  delicately  on  the 
high  notes  at  the  other  end  :  dum,  dum,  dum,  dumdidi, 
dumdidi,  dum  di ;  very  sweet. 

Pleasure  brought  a  real  colour  into  the  child's 
cheeks,  and  Frau  Stahl  was  greatly  commended,  as  if 
nothing  but  pleasant  remarks  about  her  had  been  spun 
together  during  her  absence.  This  flattered  her  ;  and 
as  she  could  not  get  through  a  second  piece,  and  Frau 
Bergfeldt  stupefied  her  afresh  with  her  stomachic  bit- 
ters, she  repeated  the  same  waltz  until  she  became 
unconscious  of  what  she  was  playing,  and  found  that 
the  instrument  had  a  very  charming  touch. 

We  other  ladies  fell  once  more  into  an  animated 
conversation  ;  the  children  too  felt  more  at  home, 
began  to  rush  about  pretty  vivaciously,  and  to  touch 
the  piano.  Augusta  alone  became  more  disturbed 
from  moment  to  moment.  "Child,  what  is  the  matter 
with  you  ?  "  I  asked  her  privately. — "  It  must  surely  be 
later  than  ten  minutes  to  five,"  she  said  fearfully.  I 
cast  a  careful  glance  towards  the  time-piece  on  the 
console  table,  and  sure  enough,  the  glass  covering  was 
broken,  and  the  crack  pasted  over  with  a  strip  of  paper 
that  Frau  Bergfeldt  must  have  got  the  post-office  offi- 
cial to  include  when  she  was  buying  a  post-card.     Im- 


40  Frau   Wilhehnme. 

mediately  behind  the  strip  the  hands  remained  point- 
ing to  ten  minutes  to  five.  To  paste  up  clocks  and 
leave  them  unwound  is  as  thoroughly  Bergfeldtian  as 
anything  could  be. 

"  The  clock  has  stopped,"  I  said  quietly,  as  if  it  were 
a  matter  of  everyday  occurrence. — "  How  late  is  it, 
then?" — I  looked  at  my  watch  :"  Half-past  seven." 
Augusta  gave  a  start. — "  Already  !  "  she  exclaimed, 
and  went  to  her  mother,  to  whom  she  again  whis- 
pered something,  more  urgently  than  before.  "  Non- 
sense !  "  said  Frau  Bergfeldt  aloud  ;  "  he  would  have 
been  here  already  in  that  case." 

But  the  explanation  came  before  I  had  really  com- 
prehended what  the  matter  under  discussion  was. 
What  with  the  noise  the  children  were  making,  the 
conversation,  and  the  thunder-and-lightning  waltzes, 
no  one  had  heard  how  somebody  had  opened  the  door 
into  the  vestibule,  which  somebody  was  the  gentleman 
to  whom  Frau  Bergfeldt  had  let  the  room  in  which  we 
were  holding  our  session  ;  and  when  this  gentleman 
suddenly  tore  open  the  door  and  remained  standing 
as  if  he  had  made  a  mistake,  the  consternation  on 
both  sides  was  about  equal. 

"  Pray  excuse  my  taking  the  liberty  of  taking  pos- 
session of  my  room,"  said  the  gentleman  sarcastically. 
We  were  quite  dumbfounded.  "I  hope  the  ladies 
have  no  objection  to  my  wishing  to  be  alone  !  "  While 
saying  this  he  bowed  with  perfectly  cool  amiability, 
and  pointed  with  his  hands  towards  the  door. — "  Let 
us  be  off,"  hissed  Frau  Beckmann.  What  came  to 
pass  now  was  a  bowing  out  of  the  room  en  masse. 
Frau  Bergfeldt  wanted  to  begin  a  scolding  match,  as 
if  she  were  absolutely  in  the  right,  but  the  gentleman 
merely  said,  "  Excuse  me  !  " 

We  had  to  march  past  him  as  the  vanquished  ones 


r^- 


A  Ladies'.  Coffee-Party.  41 

a  circumstance  that  was  attended  by  very  humiliating 
feelings.  Each  of  us  carried  off  something — cups, 
tray,  glass  dishes,  cakes.  Augusta  drew  the  children 
away,  and  before  you  could  turn  round  the  place  was 
vacated. 

Frau  Stahl  remarked  that  she  never  had  turned  her 
heart  into  a  marl-pit,  but  she  must  acknowledge  that 
she  had  never  met  such  an  ill-bred  person  in  the  whole 
course  of  her  life.  This  was  when  we  had  established 
ourselves  in  the  back  room.  Frau  Schliler  thought 
him  impertinent.  Frau  Beckmann  said,  "  Why  did 
the  fellow  come  back  so  early  ?  It  was  extremely  rude 
of  him."  Frau  Krause  said  that  the  young  man  was 
a  churl.  But  that  was  because  he  had  looked  scof- 
fingly  at  her  while  she  carried  off  the  coffee. 

While  we  were  holding  forth  against  him,  he  rang 
his  bell.     We  all  jumped,  and  were  as  quiet  as  mice. 

"What  can  he  want?  "asked  Frau  Bergfeldt ;  "I 
am  not  going  in." 

There  was  a  knock.  "  Come  in  !  "  The  gentleman 
ordered  politely:  "Would  you  have  the  kindness  to 
wipe  the  keyboard  of  my  instrument  with  a  damp 
cloth  ?  It  is  so  sticky  that  I  cannot  play  upon  it." 
Augusta  followed  him. 

"  Was  such  vulgarity  ever  met  with  before  ! "  ex- 
claimed Frau  Stahl.  "  To  be  a  householder,  and  have 
to  put  up  with  such  insolence!  " — "  I  should  find  a  way 
of  giving  it  back  to  him,"  instigated  Frau  Beckmann. 

When  Augusta  returned,  she  said  :  "  Mamma,  if  you 
had  asked  the  gentleman,  he  would  willingly  have 
placed  the  room  at  your  disposal  for  the  afternoon  ; 
now  he  is  angry  at  your  having  behaved  so  independ- 
ently, and  gives  notice  to  leave  on  the  first.  And  you 
knov/  how  difficult  it  is  to  let  the  room  in  summer." 

"  He  may  go  at  once,  as  far  as  I  am  concerned," 


42  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

answered  the  old  lady. — "  You  can  get  people  like  that 
at  the  rate  of  ten  a  day,"  Frau  Stahl  seconded  her. — 
"  He  always  pays  regularly  on  the  first,"  Augusta 
suggested.  "Mamma  has  lost  enough  by  doubtful 
gentlemen." 

"  I  should  speak  to  him,"  I  remarked. — "  I  will  do  so 
at  once,"  exclaimed  Augusta,  and  went  bravely  across. 

Her  doing  so  pleased  me  extremely.  What  would 
become  of  the  whole  family  without  Augusta  ? 

After  a  while  Augusta  returned.  "He  will  stop," 
she  said  ;  "  but  he  expects  mamma  to  give  him  a  prom- 
ise not  to  give  any  more  parties  in  his  room."  Frau 
Bergfeldt  grumbled  a  few  objections,  but  seemed  sat- 
isfied all  the  same. 

I  had  had  quite  enough  of  it.  Frau  Helbich  left 
with  me,  and  on  the  way  we  talked  about  what  had 
happened.  She  too  acknowledged  Augusta's  worth. 
"  Life  educates  many  people,"  she  said,  "  if  they  re- 
fuse to  accept  instruction  in  their  youth." — "Unfor- 
tunately,  good  guidance  is  wanting  to  many,"  I  re- 
turned. 

We  parted.  I  returned  by  train,  and  was  glad  to 
find  myself  in  the  Landsberger-strasse. 

"Well,  what  was  it  like  ?"  asked  my  husband. 

"  Carl,  as  it  always  is  at  the  Bergfeldts.     You  will 
not  worry  me  to  a  ladies'  coffee-party  there   again 
They  are  not  up  to  our  level." 


3p?J^5*'^j>^\??wi*r  ?r:R^.V  ^^^     ■ 


Friend  Max.  43 


FRIEND   MAX. 

Hemlock  used  by  mistake — Why  the  doctor  is  in  the  wrong  box, 
and  Herr  Buchholz  chops  wood — About  virgin  lilies  and  secrets 
in  letters — Frau  Schulz  appears  and  Wilhelmine  sprinkles  gen- 
tleness— Why  Max  is  of  age  and  Venus  like  the  end  of  a  cigar 
— Why  nobody  can  live  without  love  and  Max  gets  blamed — 
Why  further  consideration  is  necessary. 

If  it  has  hitherto  been  a  mystery  to  me  how  thinkers 
find  time  to  arrive  at  subjects  difficult  of  comprehen- 
sion, I  know  all  about  it  now  as  accurately  as  if  I  had 
been  doing  nothing  but  the  same  work  all  my  life 
long  :  they  make  use  of  sleepless  nights  for  this  pur- 
pose. No  cow's  hide  could  contain  all  the  things  that 
may  be  thought  out  in  a  single  one,  and  had  it  not 
been  Frau  Bergfeldt  who  once — of  course,  when  it 
was  utterly  out  of  place — expressed  herself  to  the 
effect  that,  "  Thinking  makes  one  stupid,"  I  should  be 
almost  inclined  to  agree  with  her;  for  after  one  such 
night  of  thought  one's  head  seems  to  be  filled  to  the 
brim  with  all  things  incomprehensible.  But  Frau 
Bergfeldt  may  talk  for  a  long  time  before  anything, 
she  says  pleases  me. 

For  to  whom  were  thanks  due  for  this  sleeplessness 
but  to  her?  If  she  possesses  a  stomach  impervious 
to  fire,  she  surely  need  not  imagine  that  the  stuff  con- 
cocted by  herself  would  be  good  for  others,  and  it  is 
only  to  avoid  making  a  sensation  that  I  do  not  send 
for  the  doctor.  If  he  discovered  at  once  that  I  had 
been  poisoned  by  her  ignorant  use  of  hemlock,  or 
whatever  else  she  may  have  put  in  by  mistake,  he 
v/ould  be  forced  to  give  notice  of  it,  and  the  Court 
would  get  hold  both  of  her  and  her  bottle.  But  I 
should  object  to  such  harsh  measures,  for  what  would 


44  Frau  Wilhelmine. 

become  of  the  gentleman  meanwhile,  if  she  were  shut 
up  for  three  weeks,  or  a  fortnight  at  the  very  least  ? 
Less  than  that  would  be  contemptible. 

What  would  become  of  the  old  man,  with  his  brit- 
tle bones  ? 

And  supposing  he  died,  what  would  become  of  her, 
Frau  Bergfeldt  ?  She  would  be  sure  not  to  get  on 
with  her  gentleman  lodgers  for  a  continuance.  Then 
she  would  be  a  burden  to  Augusta. 

Her  I  value  more  and  more.  What  Herr  Weigelt 
may  want  in  energy,  she  makes  up  for  by  having  her 
head  put  the  right  way  on  her  shoulders.  They  will 
all  get  the  benefit  of  that  later — her  husband,  the 
children,  old  Herr  Bergfeldt  and  her  mother ;  al- 
though the  latter  never  tires  of  rubbing  destiny  the 
wrong  way  and  so  courting  failure. 

To  what  could  the  fevered  state  of  my  blood,  my 
beating  heart,  the  difficulty  I  found  in  breathing,  be 
ascribed,  if  not  to  her  coffee  mixture,  which  ought  to 
be  avoided,  as  there  is  peat  amongst  it  ?  The  doctor 
said  that  there  was  a  tendency  to  asthma  whenever 
hurry  reduced  me  to  a  state  of  breathlessness  ;  but 
like  many  another  doctor,  he  has  got  on  the  wrong 
track.  It  is  from  nothing  in  the  world  but  Frau  Berg- 
feldt's  hospitality. 

Some  of  the  ladies  absolutely  allowed  themselves  to 
be  persuaded  to  take  several  glasses  of  Rachenputzer.* 
They  must  either  have  been  born  impervious  to  its  in- 
fluence, or  else  they  have  gradually  grown  so  accus- 
tomed to  it  that  it  can  do  them  no  more  harm. 

Merciful  Heavens  !  Supposing  my  husband  had  had 
a  wife  like  Frau  Beckmann  or  Frau  Schiller !  How 
awful !  How  they  v/ould  have  embittered  his  life  for 
him  !     Both  would   have   been  equally  disagreeable, 

*  A  sort  of  sour  wine. 


Friend  Max.  45 


powerless  to  appreciate  his  worth,  the  soup  would 
have  been  unpalatable — over-salted  water,  with  lumps 
of  grease  floating  about  in  it — the  vegetables  without 
flavour  or  relish,  and  always  prepared  with  mutton 
fat — a  thing  he  can't  abide.  What  would  he  not  have 
had  to  endure  !  How  he  would  have  longed  to  get 
away  from  it  all,  and  sighed  for  the  advent  of  the 
noseless  man  who  was  to  envelop  him  in  the  wooden 
dressing  -  gown  and  carry  him  away  from  all  his 
misery ! 

This  thought  aroused  such  grief  and  misgivings 
within  me,  that  I  did  not  know  what  to  do  with  my- 
self. I  should  have  liked  a  good  cry  best  of  all ;  but 
dared  I  give  way  to  that?  Was  my  Carl  not  sleeping 
as  splendidly  as  if  a  good  conscience  in  propria  persona 
were  in  the  bed  beside  him  ? 

And  how  he  did  snore  !  It  was  not  a  mere  simple 
grunt,  but  an  intermittent  snore  of  fibrous  nature. 
Usually  my  habit  was  to  call  out,  "  Carl,  Carl,  stop 
snoring !  Others  have  paid  their  money  as  well  as 
you.  Do  you  hear  me,  Carl  ?  It  is  impossible  for  me 
to  close  my  eyes,  Carl,  am  I  to  get  cross  in  earnest  ?" 
After  this  he  was  generally  quiet  long  enough  for  me 
to  slip  off  to  sleep,  or  if  he  woke  up  more  thoroughly, 
he  denied  his  misdeeds  in  toto,  which  resulted  in  mu- 
tual hilarity  and  interchange  of  reproaches. 

No,  I  could  not  be  a  woman  like  Frau  Stahl  or  Frau 
Krause,  whose  husbands  positively  miss  something  if 
they  are  not  kept  in  continual  abject  terror.  I  lay 
there  patiently,  and  hoped  that  from  moment  to  mo- 
ment he  might  turn  in  bed,  and  give  up  the  wood- 
splitting  business. 

But  it  was  all  in  vain.  He  was  so  tired  that  he  was 
in  a  dead  sleep. 

Therefore    I    had    the    most    splendid    leisure    foi 


■'"^'y^-%-M: 


46  I^rau    Wilhelinine. 

thought,  and  who  else  could  I  think  about  but  Frau 
Bergfeldt  ? 

Before  her  marriage  she  understood  the  art  of  hid- 
ing her  disagreeable  qualities  behind  the  mask  of  a 
most  amiable  exterior  ;  but  since  her  wedding  placed 
a  household  at  her  command,  she  has  perfected  herself 
in  unsupportability.  Thus  she  has  spoiled  her  hus- 
band's life  for  him. 

Whatever  he  did,  she  found  wrong ;  and  if  he  had 
done  what  she  preached  at  him,  it  would  have  been 
absolutely  certain  to  be  all  wrong.  She  expended  the 
least  of  her  pains  on  him,  and  by  her  keeping  him  re- 
gardlessly  in  the  background  the  remains  of  his  youth 
became  mildewed. 

Of  what  avail  was  it  that  he  worked  overtime  ?  They 
got  on  none  the  better.  His  salary  was  never  suffi- 
cient ;  and  by  the  time  that  he  thought  he  had  plug- 
ged up  a  hole,  she  had  torn  open  a  fresh  one  ;  constant 
in  borrowing  and  unceasing  in  squandering,  as  the 
saying  is.  Then  there  were  the  daily  trivial  quarrels 
which  fed  on  him  like  a  canker  ;  and  when  his  pride, 
his  Emil,  on  whom  all  their  hopes  were  set,  came  to 
his  sudden  end,  his  measure  was  full.  Then  the  old 
man  began  to  break  up  by  slow  degrees.  It  was  first 
noticed  at  the  office  in  his  writing,  in  which  he  put 
small  letters  where  he  used  to  use  capitals,  and  no  ad- 
monitions could  break  him  of  the  habit.  Then  while 
speaking  he  could  not  recall  certain  words,  or  if  he 
did  they  were  wrong  ones.  They  began  by  finding  it 
very  funny  ;  but  when  the  doctor  explained  that  it  was  ^: 

.Jig-- 

a  symptom  of  incurable  disease,  they  did  not  laugh  at  ^ 

him  any  more. 

Augusta  feared  the  worst  at  once,  nor  did  she  dis- 
semble her  trouble  from  her  mother  ;  but  she  thought 
it  would  yield  to  treatment — that  the  old  man  must 


Friend  Max.  47 


be  held  in  more  tightly.  She  carried  out  that  idea 
too.  Now  he  is  bereft  of  will,  and  such  a  sad  sight ! 
And  yet  he  was  once  young  and  lusty  like  my  Carl ! 

They  were  good  friends  too,  just  as  Herr  Felix  and 
Herr  Max  are  nowadays. 

My  Carl  now  made  a  pause  for  vespers  in  his  saw- 
ing ;  but  it  was  quite  useless,  for  the  thought  of  Max 
sent  the  fever  flying  through  me.  Is  not  Frieda  a 
horribly  life-like  image  of  Frau  Bergfeldt  in  the  days 
of  her  youth  ?  No,  she  is  still  worse ;  for  even  as 
fiande  she  heaps  disagreeables  upon  him. 

I  can  see  a  little  further  than  just  in  front  of  my 
nose,  and  what  I  see  is  likewise  a  life  full  of  disap- 
pointments, full  of  inward  grief,  vexation,  and  bitter- 
ness, until  he  too  will  have  had  enough  at  last,  and 
wish  that  this  vale  of  tears  might  come  to  an  end. 

Those  two  must  be  parted. 

But  supposing  I  say  to  him,  "  You  have  not  found  the 
right  correspondence  in  your  life's  time-table,"  and  he 
breaks  with  her  ;  what  will  then  become  of  the  girl  ? 

For  it  is  possible  that  she  loves  him  according  to 
her  fashion,  knowing  no  better,  and  then  I  shall  be 
the  cause  of  her  unhappiness. 

A  young  man  is  sure  to  find  an  opportunity  of  get- 
ting another  bride,  but  a  has-been-y?d!«^/<f  is  in  sad  case. 
She  may  be  as  innocent  as  a  virgin  lily,  and  yet  sup- 
positions will  be  rife  among  the  circle  of  her  acquaint- 
ances ;  and  the  more  presentable  a  wooer  may  be,  the 
more  they  malign  her,  and  interfere  and  gossip  and 
hurry  and  worry  them,  until  at  last  he  withdraws  to 
the  place  whence  he  came,  and  no  one  wipes  the  stain 
off  her.  Her  heart  may  break,  and  no  one  will  see  it. 
She  may  sob  out  her  grief  to  her  pillow  ;  no  one  will 
hear  it.  And  should  they  perchance  become  aware  of 
it,  no  one  will  confess  to  it. 


48  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

My  poor  Max,  I  cannot  help  you  ;  I  cannot,  I  cannot. 
The  girl  has  her  right  to  happiness  and  a  future  as 
well  as  you. 

But  is  he  not  in  the  same  case  as  the  boy  who  wants 
to  cross  over  a  frozen  river,  in  the  middle  of  which  a 
tiny  rivulet  is  still  glistening,  where  the  ice  has  only 
just  been  formed,  and  is  as  thin  and  brittle  as  glass  ? 
Now  he  is  leaving  the  bank,  the  ice  bears,  and  he  has- 
tens merrily  forward,  sliding  and  slipping  on  his  way, 
on  towards  the  middle.  The  people  on  the  bridge 
shout  and  gesticulate.  What  do  they  want  ? — the  ice 
is  quite  safe.  He  goes  on,  not  seeing  the  open  water, 
on  in  glad  security.  Then  one  single  loud  shout  from 
those  upon  the  bridge.  A  piece  of  ice  has  loosened 
and  floats  on  the  water.  How  did  the  ice  give  ?  who 
knows  that  ?  Each  one  who  is  forced  to  look  on,  help- 
lessly closes  his  eyes. 

In  the  morning  I  was  sore  all  over.  If  any  one  has 
ever  got  up  very  late  with  his  brain  all  in  a  whirl,  he 
can  have  a  conception  of  what  I  felt.  But  only  a  fee- 
ble one. 

While  I  was  in  this  frame  of  mind  Herr  Felix 
Schmidt  came  across  from  the  office  with  a  letter 
which  had  been  delivered  there.  Although  it  had  my 
address  upon  it,  written  in  the  most  legible  of  hands, 
it  had  already  been  torn  open  at  the  top — a  thing  for 
which  Herr  Schmidt  excused  himself,  on  the  plea  of 
business  zeal. 

"  Herr  Schmidt,"  I  said  jestingly,  but  with  an  under- 
current of  reproach,  "  the  inviolability  of  a  letter  is  a 
very  sacred  thing,  and  I  think  I  might  become  un- 
pleasant if  anybody  took  to  sniffing  through  my  cor- 
respondence with  a  view  to  satisfying  his  curiosity. 
The  reason  that  I  write  so  rarely,  is,  that  I  do  not  like 
people  to  leave  my  letters  lying  carelessly  about  for 


Friend  Max.  49 


the  benefit  of  the  young  women  when  they  are  sweep- 
ing out  the  room  of  a  morning." 

He  regretted  having  been  so  thoughtless,  and  prom- 
ised to  look  at  the  address  more  carefully  in  future. 
Had  this  occurred  with  my  son-in-law  the  Doctor,  he 
would  have  asked  what  all  the  fuss  was  about,  as  if 
my  letters  were  of  no  importance,  or  something  of 
that  description.  But  Herr  Felix  does  not  permit 
himself  such  liberties,  because  I  know  his  former 
course  of  life,  and  he  may  well  fear  that  reproaches 
would  be  showered  down  on  him  if  he  contradicted 
me.  It  never  occurs  to  me  to  speak  about  it,  for  all 
that  is  forgiven  is  forgotten  as  well ;  still  it  is  ex- 
tremely agreeable  to  a  mother-in-law's  feelings  to 
know  that  she  holds  her  daughter's  husband,  so  to 
speak,  by  an  invisible  thread. 

However,  he  had  to  listen  to  my  story  that  Max  had 
entered  into  an  unwise  engagement,  which  he  might 
better  have  done  a  thousand  years  hence.  He  an- 
swered that  Max's  fate  lay  very  near  his  heart,  but 
that  the  time  for  altering  it  had  gone  by.  Max  had 
entered  into  an  engagement  with  the  girl,  and  would 
certainly  marry  her.     He  was  given  to  keep  his  word. 

"  You  are  his  friend  ;  can  you  not  advise  him  and 
help  him  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Max  would  rather  come  to  grief  than  behave  dis- 
honourably. He  is  true  as  gold — I  have  made  trial  of 
it — and  as  honourable  as  he  is  true ;  that  is  the  reason 
of  our  friendship,  which  is  as  close  as  if  we  were  real 
brothers.  He  would  rather  endure  to  the  bitter  end 
than  blush  for  shame  at  having  betrayed  the  confi- 
dence of  a  girl." 

"  It  would  have  been  no  harm  if  you  had  exercised 
a  more  wholesome  influence  over  your  friend.  How- 
ever, that  remains  between  ourselves." 


■■    ■Wi^'^sSWyf 


50  Frau    Wilhelmine. 

He  might  put  that  into  his  pipe  and  smoke  it. 

Felix  took  his  leave  with  a  few  words.  As  soon  as 
he  had  gone,  I  opened  the  letter. 

The  beginning  was  remarkable  :  "  You  have  never 
heard  about  me,  but  I  have  heard  of  you.  Do  you 
know  that  it  is  your  belauded  humanity  alone  that 
makes  me  venture  to  address  these  lines  to  you  ?  You 
only  amongst  hundreds  of  thousands  are  the  one  sin- 
gle person." — "What  can  be  the  meaning  of  this  ? "  I 
questioned,  and  looked  at  the  signature,  "  Theresa 
Schulz,  nee  Western,"  I  read.  And  the  letter  came 
from  Zehlendorf. 

I  discovered  by  degrees,  while  continuing  to  read  it, 
that  she  had  a  daughter  Edith,  whom  she  wished  to 
place  under  my  care  for  the  purpose  of  further  educa- 
tion, giving  in  return  payment  of  expenses  and  her 
eternal  gratitude.  Further,  she  buttered  me  with  such 
an  amount  of  praise  that  I  really  felt  embarrassed. 
The  letter  ended  thus  :  "  Will  you  not  accede  to  my 
request  ?  To  know  that  my  Edith  is  in  such  an  excel- 
lent household,  guided  by  your  wisdom,  introduced 
by  you  into  the  cultivated  circles  of  the  metropolis, 
will  make  the  happiest  mortal  of  one  who  esteems  you 
above  everything,"  etc.,  etc.     End, 

I  was  to  some  extent  taken  aback  when  I  had  the 
four  pages  of  handwriting  behind  me.  "  It  is  too 
much  of  a  good  thing,"  I  exclaimed.  "  Now  that  I 
want  to  settle  down  in  peace,  a  woman  I  don't  know 
from  Adam  expects  me  to  receive  her  gawky  girl  into 
a  sort  of  housekeeping  convalescent  home.  That  is 
the  last  straw.     No,  certainly  not." 

I  knew  neither  the  mother  nor  the  daughter  Edith. 
Supposing  the  one  was  just  such  another  as  Frieda  ! 

I  suddenly  sprang  to  my  feet.  It  was  as  clear  to  me 
as  daylight.     How  could  it  have  come  to  pass  that  I 


Friend  Max.  51 


had  not  thought  of  it  long  ago  ?  How  can  one  be  so 
stupid,  and  bother  and  worry  oneself  and  never  find 
the  simplest  remedy  ? 

I  knew  now  what  I  wanted.  "  You  will  take  Frieda 
into  your  house  and  draw  her  near  to  your  heart  ;  you 
will  sprinkle  upon  her  gentleness  and  yielding  which 
will  loosen  the  rust  on  the  bolts  of  her  disposition,  so 
that  it  may  open  and  absorb  friendliness  into  itself." 

'Twas  thus  I  spoke  unto  myself  in  much  delight. 
"  Wilhelmine,"  I  jested  to  my  solitary  self,  "  Wf ilhel- 
mine,  fancy  having  such  a  lust  for  enterprise  in  your 
old  age  !  I  expect  you  are  not  in  your  right  senses. 
Do  you  know  what  you  are  taking  upon  you  ?  " — But 
scruples  got  no  power  over  me.  I  heard  again  and 
yet  again  the  words,  "  He  is  true  as  gold,  and  honour- 
able as  he  is  true."  Now  I  could  help  and  advise,  so 
that  his  truth  and  honour  might  not  be  put  to  shame, 
now  I  would  be  able  to  work  at  his  happiness  with 
every  chance  of  success  ;  with  this  distinction,  that  it 
was  not  he  who  was  being  taken  in  hand,  but  she. 

And  really,  when  I  came  to  consider  her  more  care- 
fully, she  was  not  so  bad  after  all. 

How  happy  this  letter  made  me.  Certainly  an  un- 
known Frau  Schulz  had  written  it,  and  the  postman 
had  brought  it,  but  I  won't  be  turned  from  my  belief 
that  it  came  from  Providence,  even  if  Frau  Krause 
were  six  times  as  enlightened  as  she  is. 

I  sent  a  commissionaire  off  at  once  with  an  urgent 
message  to  Herr  Max,  I  was  in  such  a  state  of  mind  ; 
and  besides,  think  of  the  excitement  and  fear  :  "  Sup- 
posing that  she  should  refuse  !  Then  it  is  all  done 
for." 

It  was  not  long  before  he  came.  I  had  him  shown 
into  the  best  room,  and  as  soon  as  he  sat  down,  I  ad- 
dressed him  seriously  without  further  circumlocution  : 


f 


L  '^i^T 


52  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

"  This  is  not  the  first  time  that  we  have  discussed  very 
important  matters  between  ourselves  in  this  place ; 
they  bore  reference  to  your  friend  Felix  before. 
Sponge  that  out.     To-day  it  is  your  turn." 

"  I  did  not  know  that "  he  stammered. 

"  Keep  yourself  cool  and  listen  quietly.  First  of  all, 
I  must  tell  you  that  I  never  met  with  a  bigger  lump 
of  frivolity  than  yourself." — "  I  am  of  age,"  he  inter- 
rupted.— "  Worse  luck  !  "  I  answered.  "  You  can  both 
do  and  leave  undone  what  you  like,  without  having  to 
give  account  to  any  one — you  are  your  own  master. 
And  secondly,  I  must  remind  you  that  you  knew  me  : 
why  did  you  not  come  and  confide  to  me  that  you 
were  going  to  get  engaged  ?  I  would  have  given  you 
good  advice." 

"  Good  advice  ? "  he  asked.  "  I  do  not  understand 
you." 

"Don't  be  a  hypocrite;  you  know  what  I  mean. 
Therefore  answer  me  honestly,  do  you  believe  that 
you  will  be  happy  with  your  Frieda  ?  " 

He  was  silent  for  a  space.  "  I  hope  so,"  he  then 
said  low  and  nervously. 

"We  all  hope  the  same,"  I  continued  impressively: 
"all  of  us  who  have  learnt  to  know  you  and  care 
about  you.  We  do  not  reproach  you  because  you  have 
become  engaged,  quite  the  contrary ;  all  young  men 
ought  to  follow  your  example  as  speedily  as  possible  ; 
but  why  did  you  not  wait  for  a  little  ?  We  might  have 
found  some  one  more  suitable  for  you." 

He  shook  his  head  slowly  and  repellantly,  then  he 
turned  his  fine,  candid  eyes  upon  me  with  such  a  good, 
truthful  look  in  them  that  I  was  greatly  moved.  "  I 
love  my  future  wife,"  he  said,  and  his  features  took  a 
joyful  expression. 

"  And  she  ? "  I  asked  expectantly. 


Friend  Max.  53 


"  She  loves  me  too  !  " 

"  But  with  a  very  poor  kind  of  love.  Don't  be  vexed 
with  me  for  saying  so,"  I  hurried  out.  But  who  could 
have  helped  it  ?  When  a  pistol  is  loaded,  it  is  apt  to 
go  off.     That  is  one  of  Nature's  laws. 

"  Let  that  be  as  it  may,"  he  answered  with  great 
self-control,  biting  his  mustachios  as  he  spoke  ;  "  she 
is  my  future  wife." 

He  got  up,  and  said  as  he  bowed  stiffly  and  icily, 
"  I  suppose  that  I  may  venture  to  withdraw  ?  I  can 
scarcely  think  that  you  have  anything  further  to  com- 
municate to  me." 

And  he  really  did  mean  to  go. 

It  was  made  clear  to  me  without  much  subtle 
thought,  that  every  sausage  has  got  two  ends,  and 
that  I  had  seized  hold  of  the  wrong  one  this  time. 

"  Are  vou  angry  with  me  ? "  I  asked,  and  laid  my 
hand  gently  on  his  shoulder.  "  If  I  have  seen  wrongly 
I  shall  be  delighted,  but  it  did  seem  to  me  as  if  your 
fian-cde  often  displeased  you." 

"  We  do  not  quite  agree  on  many  subjects,"  he  an- 
swered with  hesitation,  "  but  reasons  for  that  may  be 
found  in  the  surroundings  in  which  she  grew  up.  She 
is  wanting  in  the  forms  of  social  intercourse,  I  ac- 
knowledge; but  then  she  is  pretty — she  looks  as  beau- 
tiful as  a  picture  sometimes.  Don't  you  think  so 
too  ? " 

Had  he  lent  me  his  lover's  spectacles,  through  which 
he  regards  the  world,  I  might  perhaps  have  said  that 
the  Venus  di  Medici  was  simply  nowhere  in  compari- 
son to  her;  but  as  this  most  certainly  was  not  the  case, 
I  contented  myself  with  nodding  my  head,  which  he 
could  translate  into  as  high  an  expression  of  praise 
as  seemed  good  to  him. 

E  ncouraged  by  the  nod,  he  continued  :  "  She  is  per- 


■?  ■■ 


54  Frail   Wilhelmine. 

haps  somewhat  spoiled.  She  was  still  a  child  when 
her  mother  died,  and  her  father  let  her  do  just  as  she 
pleased.  Her  relations  flattered  her,  especially  some 
elderly  cousins  who  speculated  on  becoming  Frieda's 
stepmother.  That  has  probably  made  her  rather 
obstinate.  But  the  little  piece  of  perversity  pleased 
me  more  than  enough  ;  the  colder  and  more  unman- 
ageable she  showed  herself  towards  me,  the  more 
zealously  I  endeavoured  to  please  her." 

**  That  is  to  say  that  you  got  obstinate  too,  and 
made  up  your  mind  to  have  the  girl  at  all  costs.  Was 
that  the  case  or  not  ?  " — "  It  was." 

"  How  is  it  possible  to  become  engaged  through 
mutual  dislike  ?    What  mischief  it  may  lead  to  !  " 

He  smiled.  "We  loved  each  other.  When  I  asked 
her  very  seriously  if  she  would  be  my  wife,  the  little 
fights  that  we  used  to  have  up  to  then  came  to  an  end. 
She  confessed  that  she  had  liked  me  too  from  the  very 
first  moment,  but  that  her  father  and  relations  had 
tried  to  persuade  her,  and  she  would  not  allow  herself 
to  be  dictated  to — no,  not  by  any  one  in  the  world — 
and  that  pleased  me  still  more." 

"  I  cannot  say  that  she  was  altogether  wrong  there. 
Made-up  matches  have  no  backbone." 

"  How  happy  it  made  me  !  "  he  went  on  rapidly. 
"  I  had  no  one  who  loved  me  for  myself  except  Felix, 
my  friend  ;  but  he  was  away,  and  I  was  solitary  and 
alone  in  big  Berlin." — "You  forgot  Frau  Buchholz," 
I  exclaimed. — "  Felix  avoided  your  house,  and  I  had 
to  remain  away  too  until  there  was  good  news  to  be 
brought." — "  For  which  you  have  won  our  eternal 
gratitude,"  I  interrupted  him.  "  You  were  your  friend's 
advocate,  and  my  Betti's  happiness  was  the  imme- 
diate result  of  it.  I  can  well  understand  how  it  came 
to  pass  that  you   felt  yourself  deserted,   and  sought 


Friend  Max.  55 


somebody  that  you  could  love.  Nobody  can  live 
without  love — nobody.  And  so  you  were  in  the  so- 
called  seveoth  heaven  ? " 

"  I  was." 

"And  now?" 

He  drew  a  deep  breath.  "  A  blighting  frost  has  set- 
tled on  the  hopes  that  filled  my  heart  and  made  it 
beat  so  joyfully.  You  wish  for  my  confidence,  Frau 
Buchholz.     May  I  speak  plainly  ? " 

"  Say  whatever  you  like,"  I  encouraged  him. 

"  And  will  you  not  be  angry,  should  I — accuse 
you  ? " 

"  Me  ?    What  nonsense  !  " 

"Yes,"  he  answered,  and  became  very  pale.  "No- 
body pleased  me  better  than  Frieda,  I  was  proud  of 
her.  I  found  her  charming  ;  she  seemed  perfection 
to  me  just  as  she  was.  I  paid  no  heed  to  her  little 
foibles,  I  did  not  wish  her  to  be  different  in  any  way. 
You  then  permitted  me  to  introduce  my  future  wife 
to  you  ;  and  how  I  looked  forward  to  the  moment 
when  you  would  approve  of  my  choice,  welcome 
Frieda,  and  learn  to  love  her  !  However,  I  saw  at  the 
very  first  meeting  that  she  did  not  please  you.  I  felt 
that  your  dislike  increased  instead  of  vanishing.  That 
disquieted  me.  From  that  moment  I  began  to  observe 
m.y  fiancee  more  attentively,  and  saw  that  in  the  family 
circle  of  the  Buchholzes  she  differed  from  those  around 
her  in  manner  as  well  as  in  all  her  ways.  Her  ob- 
stinacy produced  a  painful  impression  on  me,  her  de- 
ficiencies of  education  were  made  apparent ;  and  the 
more  she  saw  that  she  was  not  adapted  to  those  whose 
friendship  was  an  inestimable  boon  to  me,  the  more 
Frieda  withdrew  within  herself.     She  felt  hurt." 

"  I  am  not  aware  that  I  ever  said  anything  to  her 
prejudice  by  so  much  as  a  word." 


56  Frail   Wilhebnine. 

"And  yet  the  icy  coldness  proceeded  from  you. 
The  silent  neglect,  the  unexpressed  reproaches,  the 
forced  politeness,  —those  were  the  things,  those  com- 
posed the  frost  that  settled  on  our  budding  happiness. 
We  were  despised  on  account  of  our  love.  You  have 
wounded  us  cruelly,  Frau  Buchholz.  Can  you  take  it 
amiss  of  Frieda  if  she  has  become  more  silent  and  re- 
pellant  than  formerly  ?" 

I  was  silent.  We  certainly  do  let  our  fellow-crea- 
tures feel  sometimes  that  they  are  hateful  to  us  ;  but 
who  thinks  hard  thoughts  on  that  account  ?  I  wonder 
whether  my  Carl  would  think  the  young  man  had 
right  on  his  side  were  he  to  hear  his  accusations  ? 

"But  it  was  not  you  alone,"  Max  continued,  "whj 
reproached  me  with  my  choice.  He,  the  brother  of 
my  heart,  my  friend  Felix,  who  was  satisfied  at  first, 
had  words  of  pity — nay,  even  words  of  blame — for  me 
later.     Who  occasioned  him  to  use  them — who  ?  " 

I  made  a  sign  of  denial. 

After  a  pause, — I  felt  how  hard  it  was  for  him, — he 
went  on  :  "I  have  already  faced  the  fact  that  I  am  to 
lose  my  friend,  although  I  believed  that  nothing  but 
death  would  divide  us,  nor  shall  I  trouble  you  further 
with  the  presence  of  my  wife  that  is  to  be.  Frieda 
and  I  will  return  to  the  old  solitude." 

"  No,"  I  exclaimed,  "  you  shall  not.  Do  listen  first 
to  the  reason  why  I  asked  you  to  come  and  see  me.  I 
wanted  to  speak  to  you  about  Frieda.  I  have  seen 
that  she  is  v/anting  in  many  things,  but  that  may  be 
rectified.  I  want  to  have  her  here  with  me  in  the 
house.  I  will  treat  her  with  kindness  or  with  strict- 
ness, according  as  it  may  be  required.  She  is  such  a 
pretty,  good-looking  girl,  and  things  must  go  very 
crookedly  if  she  does  not  become  a  charming  one  as 
well."  .     . 


Friend  Max.  57 


"  You  will  do  that  ? "  he  ex:clainied.  "  How  beauti- 
ful, horw  noble !  She  has  really  never  had  a  proper 
stay.     You " 

«  Well  ? "  I  asked. 

"  I  am  afraid  that  Frieda  will  not  consent  to  it." 

"  That  would  be  still  grander.  Surely  you  have 
sufficient  power  over  her  to  make  her  see  what  is  rea- 
sonable ?  " 

"  If  she  notices  that  she  is  being  disposed  of,  she  is 
sure  to  refuse.  Besides,  she  is  not  particularly  well 
disposed  towards  you." 

"  That  will  come  with  the  sweeping  out  of  the  rooms." 

I  considered ;  nothing  came.  I  had  to  think  a  bit 
longer, 

"  That  will  do,"  I  said  at  last.  "  When  Betti  is  mar- 
ried, I  shall  need  assistance  :  I  intend  anyway  to  take 
a  young  girl  into  the  house — here  is  the  letter  in  which 
negotiations  have  been  begun — and  that  being  so,  I 
prefer  two  to  one.  Frieda  will  do  me  a  kindness — tell 
her  so — a  great  kindness  by  coming.  Explain  to  her 
that  she  really  must  learn  housekeeping,  if  there  is  a 
spark  of  love  in  her  breast." 

"  I  cannot  accept  your  kindness,"  he  said.  "  Neither 
of  us  can." 

"  My  dear  young  friend,"  I  answered,  "  think  that  a 
mother  is  speaking  to  you,  and  so  I  repeat  it :  bring 
your  fiancee,  that  I  may  teach  her  so  far  as  in  my  power 
lies.     God  will  give  His  blessing  to  the  work." 

"  A  mother,"  he  whispered  to  himself  ;  "  I  have  never 
known  mine  !  " 

"Adopt  me,"  I  exclaimed,  "then  everything  will 
come  right ! "  and  I  offered  him  my  hand.  He  seized 
it,  and  raised  it  to  his  lips,  and  hot  tears  fell  upon  it. 

"  That  is  right,"  I  said  ;  "but  sons  must  be  obedient. 
Go  and  win  Frieda  over  to  me." 


i'»-    ^y^ 


58  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

I  remained  alone,  and  again  began  to  think.  But 
everything  that  I  had  thought  out  for  myself  resolved 
itself  into  one  and  the  same  reflection  :  What  will  your 
Carl  say  ?  How  will  you  manage  to  put  it  to  him 
gently  without  astonishing  him  too  much  ?  You  have 
lost  your  wager. 

But  after  all,  what  is  a  tour  ? 

A  terribly  fatiguing  affair. 


AT   THE   HASENHAIDE. 

About  week-days — The  mustard  uncle  and  the  new  bonnet-trim- 
ming— About  faithful  attachment  and  the  finest  time  of  year— 
What  happens  at  the  Hasenhaide— About  kites  and  tyrants-^ 
Why  Wilhelmine  is  a  ruin  and  Herr  Briese  a  Jesuit. 

It  always  goes  against  the  grain  to  tell  my  Doris 
that  she  must  give  up  her  afternoon  out  because  I 
want  the  Sunday  for  myself,  but  it  could  not  be  helped. 
Contrary  to  my  expectations,  Doris  was  quite  oblig- 
ing on  this  occasion,  for  she  generally  insists  on  her 
rightful  privileges,  and  she  said  :  "  If  Madame  is  ab- 
solutely obliged  to  go  out,  such  as  I  will  remain  at 
home." — "You  may  have  your  Wednesday  free  in- 
stead, Doris." — "Oh,  no,"  she  answered;  "a  week-day 
is  no  good  to  me  !  You  think  to  get  roast  meat,  and 
after  all  you  don't  even  get  boiled." 

"  I  get  a  fit  of  the  horrors  when  I  only  think  of  the 
Sunday's  tumult,"  I  answered,  in  order  to  hint  that 
her  afternoon  was  not  desired  for  purposes  of  amuse- 
ment. "  If  the  weather  is  tolerably  fine,  one-half  of 
Berlin  wanders  off  towards  the  meadows  ;  and  if  it  is 
very  fine,  the  whole  of  it  goes  ;  and  then  the  places  in 


^-^i=^^r^:7  ^r ^r*-'r  f^' ■ : 


Ai  the  Hasenhaide.  59 

the  neighbourhood  are  crowded  beyond  what  police 
t-egulations  permit." 

"  Where  does  Madame  wish  to  go  ?  "  asked  Doris. — 
"  I  do  not  wish,  Doris  ;  I  must." — "  Nobody  ought  to 
must.  If  I  had  a  longing  to  stay  at  home,  not  half  a 
score  of  horses  should  drag  me  outside  the  door." — 
"  Doris,  in  the  higher  grades  of  life  there  are  occasions 
when  one  would  like  and  yet  may  not.  The  rules  of 
society  impose  obligations  on  us,  and  according  as  we 
behave  so  is  our  reputation." — "  Oh,  then,  it  is  tip-top 
company  !  " — "  Oh,  dear  no,  Doris  ;  just  a  little  ex- 
cursion into  the  country,  so  to  speak.  A  friend  of 
your  master's,  or  rather  a  former  acquaintance,  a  cer- 
tain Herr  Briese,  who  used  to  come  a  good  deal  to  my 
father's  house,  has  announced  his  intention  of  calling 
on  us,  and  we  must  take  him  somewhere.  I  had  totally 
forgotten  him,  as  he  has  been  living  for  many  years  in 
Rawitsch,  where  he  is  well-to-do,  as  he  says,  and  still 
leads  a  bachelor's  life,  although  he  could  surround  a 
wife  with  comforts."  —  "Then  why  doesn't  he  get 
one  ? " — "  Who  can  fathom  his  fellow-creatures  ?  Per- 
haps his  pretensions  are  too  great,  or  else,  she  may 
not  have  wanted  him — although  he  was  said  to  be  a 
very  good  match  in  those  days,  with  which  many  a  girl 
might  well  have  been  satisfied.  But,  no  doubt,  a  good 
many  may  not  have  cared  about  him,  for  he  had  left 
his  first  youth  behind  him,  and  his  forehead  already 
went  back  to  his  neck.  That  does  not  incline  one 
towards  matrimony,  though  he  really  could  look  very 
languishing.  No,  it  was  certainly  better  for  him  to 
settle  down  in  Rawitsch,  than  to  rush  about  here  in 
Berlin  with  a  broken  heart." 

"  That  must  be  dreadful,"  said  Doris. 

"  He  had  some  distant  sort  of  a  great-uncle,  on  the 
strength  of  which  he  wanted  to  enter  on  an  engage- 


6o  Frau  Wilhelmine. 

ment ;  but  when  the  year  was  out  the  old  man  was 
still  alive,  and  I  must  confess  that  my  feelings  are 
quite  opposed  to  the  erection  of  a  household  on  the 
dead  bones  of  relations." 

"  Uhu  !  "  shuddered  Doris. 

"  The  old  gentleman  died  afterwards,  leaving  a  fine 
will  behind  him,  according  to  which  he  made  Herr 
Briese  his  sole  heir,  conditionally  on  his  carrying  on 
the  business  himself  and  keeping  the  mustard-mill, 
which  had  been  the  old  marl's  greatest  pride,  at  work 
on  the  different  qualities.  He  has  sent  us  samples,  too, 
especially  of  a  herb  mustard,  which  was  splendid. 
And  now  he  has  happened  to  come  to  Berlin,  and  it  is 
impossible  to  do  otherwise  than  receive  him  well, 
were  it  only  for  the  sake  of  old  memories." — "  Has  he 
brought  some  with  him  this  time  ?  Ours  is  just  out." — 
"  People  must  never  be  rated  according  to  what  they 
bring  with  them,  but  rather  according  to  their  inner 
worth.  I  am  pleased  to  be  able  to  talk  to  him  about 
old  times,  and  to  amuse  myself  by  finding  out  how  he 
likes  Berlin  now,  for  he  has  been  going  about  a  good 
deal  on  his  own  account  before  coming  to  us,  but  has 
not  yet  been  outside  the  gates.  That  is  the  reason  we 
are  going  together  to  the  Hasenhaide  on  Sunday." 

**To  the  Haide  ?"  asked  Doris  in  astonishment,  as  if 
she  had  heard  wrongly.  "  But  isn't  that  too  mixed  for 
Madame  and  the  mustard  gentleman?" 

"  Doris,"  I  admonished  her,  with  a  touch  of  superi- 
ority in  my  manner,  "  mixture  ceases  where  cultivated 
people  are  to  be  found.  To  prevent  the  time  seeming 
long  to  you  on  Sunday,  I  will  make  you  a  present  of 
the  flowers  on  my  second-best  bonnet,  and  you  can 
put  them  on  yours." 

She  was  very  pleased  with  this,  and  I  as  well,  for  she 
deserved  a  reward  for  so  readily  waiving  her  rights, 


At  the  Hasenhaide.  6i 

and  by  this  means  I  secured  a  new  bonnet-trimming 
without  Carl  being  able  to  accuse  me  of  wasteful 
vanity. 

The  lucky  idea  of  the  Haide  originated  with  Uncle 
Fritz.  Since  he  set  up  housekeeping  with  Erica,  every- 
thing has  been  going  on  well ;  still,  she  is  not  suited 
for  a  big  town.  The  streets  are  too  long  for  her,  the 
noise  upsets  her,  she  would  not  venture  to  cross  the 
road  at  a  slant  for  fear  of  finding  herself  under  the 
wheels,  and  shopping  presents  insuperable  difficulties. 
It  is  one  thing  for  the  parental  garden  to  deliver 
vegetables  straight  to  the  kitchen,  and  quite  another 
to  have  to  bargain  with  Spandau  cabbage-women  and 
the  Werder  folk,  who  take  advantage  of  every  kind  of 
inexperience  and  palm  off  their  bad  wares  upon  it. — 
"When  she  has  plucked  up  a  little  more  courage,  she 
will  get  on  well  enough,"  said  Uncle  Fritz  a  couple  of 
days  ago.  "  She  must  be  forced  to  mix  frequently 
with  people,  then  she  will  acquire  a  feeling  of  safety 
and  know  that  nothing  is  going  to  happen  to  her," 
— "Didn't  I  tell  you  from  the  very  first  that  a  Ber- 
lin girl  would  have  been  more  suited  to  you  ? " — 
"  If  I  had  to  make  my  choice  over  again,  I  would  not 
have  anybody  else.  If  you  want  to  give  me  a  pleasure, 
Wilhelm,  you  will  accompany  us  on  Sunday  to  the 
Hasenhaide.     Don't  make  a  fuss,  but  come  along." 

Herr  Briese's  advent  interrupted  a  direct  refusal. 
At  first  sight  I  could  not  find  a  place  for  him  in  my 
memory  ;  but  as  his  loaf-like  pate  was  still  the  same, 
the  intervening  years  vanished  like  window-shutters, 
and  I  remembered  with  dreadful  exactitude  the  day 
upon  which  he  flattered  himself  that  I  was  going  to 
make  him  happy.  He  sent  a  letter  like  copper-plate, 
and  got  a  carefully-worded  refusal  from  my  father  by 
return,  in  which  no  objection  was  made  to  himself 


62  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

personally,  stress  being  rather  laid  on  the  very  un- 
grown-up  juvenility  of  the  desired  one.  He  wrote 
again,  but  his  second  epistle  profited  him^as  little. 

I  left  him  alone  with  Uncle  Fritz  while  I  went  to 
fetch  my  Carl,  and  inform  him  that  this  Herr  Briese 
was  the  very  same  who  had  paid  his  court  to  me  with- 
out winning  my  love,  in  return.  "Wilhelmine,"  said 
my  husband,  "  I  trust  that  this  Herr  Briese  will  give 
me  no  occasion  for  jealousy  !  " 

"  Carl,  look  at  yourself  ifi  the  glass,  and  then  let 
him  have  a  look.  Why,  there  is  no  question  of  a  com- 
parison !  " — "  Faithful  devotion  ends  by  touching  a 
woman's  heart." — "  He  was  refused  twice,  and  after 
getting  the  mustard  he  never  made  a  third  move  ;  you 
know  that  as  well  as  I." — "  Don't  be  tragic,  Wilhelmine. 
I  am  prepared  to  welcome  Herr  Briese." 

We  returned  and  found  Uncle  Fritz  deep  in  conver- 
sation with  Herr  Briese.  My  Carl  showed  himself 
well-disposed  towards  him,  and  asked  how  he  liked  Ber- 
lin now  that  he  saw  it  after  so  long  an  absence.  "  Not 
at  all  !  "  exclaimed  Uncle  Fritz. — "  I  can  no  longer  find 
my  way  about,"  complained  Herr  Briese.  "The  old 
streets  do  not  look  like  their  former  selves.  A  palace 
stands  now  where  a  tiny  house  used  to  be.  Where 
open  fields  were,  streets  are  now  built,  each  one  more 
magnificent  than  the  other.  Kranzler's  has  no  longer 
rails  enough  for  us  to  rest  our  feet  against,  when  we 
want  to  see  Berlin  parading  past  us.  They  have  pulled 
down  the  old  simple  familiar  taverns  and  built  new 
ones,  with  coloured  glass  windows  outside  like  churches, 
and  inside  architecture  like  feudal  castles.  One  hardly 
dares  settle  oneself  comfortably  amid  all  the  grandeur." 
— "But  surely  the  beer  is  excellent?"  asked  Uncle 
Fritz. — "We  have  just  as  good,  not  to  say  better,  in 
Rawitsch,"  answered   Herr   Briese  with    self-compla- 


At  the  Hasenhaide.  63 

cency,  "  and  not  nearly  so  dear.  You  pay  just  half  as 
much  for  a  pint  with  us," — "A  place  for  good  fellows, 
according  to  that,"  remarked  Uncle  Fritz. — "  It  has  its 
drawbacks,  but  also  its  advantages.  For  instance,  one 
of  its  drawbacks  is,  that  it  is  so  far  away  from  Berlin  ; 
and  one  of  its  advantages,  that  one  cannot  go  there 
too  often — one  might  not  be  quite  so  well  pleased 
with  Rawitsch  afterwards." — "  So  you  are  enthusiastic 
about  Berlin  in  comparison  !  "  I  interrupted.  "  If  you 
carry  your  thoughts  back,  you  will  see  that  it  could 
not  be  otherwise.  Youth  is  the  most  beautiful  time  of 
our  life." — He  gave  me  a  melancholy  look.  "  I  no 
longer  know  it.  I  have  been  away  too  long.  My 
friends  and  acquaintances  are  gone,  as  well  as  the  old 
spots  where  we  used  to  be  young  and  merry  together. 
We  strolled  arm-in-arm  along  the  footway ;  now 
you  can  scarcely  push  your  way  through  singly.  I 
have  not  learned  how  to  elbow  my  way  along,  and 
feel  uncomfortable  in  a  crowd.  I  shall  return  thanks 
to  my  Creator  when  I  find  myself  once  again  in 
quiet,  peaceful  Rawitsch.  The  Hasenhaide  is  the 
only  other  place  I  am  going  to.  My  pleasantest 
Sunday  afternoon  memories  are  connected  with  it. 
I  smoked  my  first  secret  cigar  there.  How  deli- 
cious it  was  to  lie  full  length  on  the  grass  !  I  felt  as 
if  I  were  in  the  country.  And  if  I  felt  inclined  for  a 
little  dance,  what  charming  opportunities  there  were 
for  indulging  in  it  in  one  saloon  or  the  other!  It  was 
idyllic  ! " 

"We  will  make  an  excursion  to  it  together,"  ex- 
claimed Uncle  Fritz,  and  trod  persuasively  on  my 
foot ;  "  won't  we,  Wilhelmine  ? "  I  consented,  having 
the  prospect  of  seeing  what  sort  of  face  Herr  Briese 
would  make  when  he  beheld  the  Haide  again  after  a 
lapse  of    years  ;  and  my  Carl  had  not  one  of  those 


64  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

parliamentary  fits  that  first  lead  to  an  uncompromis- 
ing refusal  and  then  give  way  after  all. 

"We  discussed  the  arrangements.  I  made  up  my 
mind  to  negotiate  with  Doris  concerning  her  afternoon 
out,  and  Herr  Briese  remained  with  us  for  supper. 

When  Sunday  came  the  barometer  had  done  its  duty 
and  clambered  up  above  "  fine  "  without  telling  a  lie, 
for  it  often  points  to  "  dry  "  and  there  are  continuous 
downpours,  science  notwithstanding.  We  started  off  in 
the  very  nick  of  time,  and  walked  till  we  found  the 
right  tram,  which  took  us  as  far  as  the  Halle  gate, 
where  we  joined  the  stream  of  people  turning  towards 
the  left — for  Uncle  Fritz  thought  that  we  should  see 
more  and  not  be  so  knocked  about  as  if  we  kept  along 
the  carriage  road. 

"  We  seem  to  have  come  to  the  wrong  place,"  said 
Herr  Briese. — ''Why?" — "Because  there  is  no  coun-. 
try  yet." — "That  comes  later,"  said  Uncle  Fritz.— 
Herr  Briese  shook  his  head  and  complained,  "I  can'1 
recognise  it  at  all.  The  town  never  seems  to  come  to 
an  end." 

We  proceeded  on  our*way  past  the  new  church  which 
is  being  built  on  the  Johannistisch,  and  immediately 
behind  which  the  pleasure  grounds  extend.  It  is  as- 
tonishing to  see  the  number  of  curiosities  that  the 
people  have  in  the  booths  on  either  side  of  the  road, 
and  the  noise  they  make  to  induce  passers-by  to  ^o  in. 
Every  one  shouts  that  nothing  like  his  wonder  has 
ever  been  seen  since  the  world  was  made.  They  have 
giants  and  dwarfs,  panoramas  with  the  most  horrible 
accidents,  learned  horses  who  know  precisely  how 
old  everybody  is,  as  well  as  wolves  and  trained  goats, 
savages  and  Herculeses,  and  many  other  objects  which 
art  and  science  can  produce  at  a  trifle,  for  the  best 
place  only  costs  twopence. 


Pi^^--;ry'^_-!-'f.'9^!:^V7^'''^^'S>' 


At  the  Hasenhaide.  65 

My  Carl  suggested  that  we  should  go  into  a  booth 
in  front  of  which  a  female  giant,  who  was  painted 
on  a  huge  picture,  was  cried  up  as  being  ever  so  many- 
hundredweight,  and  possessing  enormously  big  arms 
and  legs.  However,  T  signified  to  him  that  this  was 
no  sight  for  him.     Nor  was  it. 

Swings  and  merry-go-rounds  fly  along  amongst  the 
booths.  A  whole  fire-engine  was  fixed  on  one  of  them, 
with  hose,  water-tanks,  and  vehicles  for  the  men,  and 
the  blessed  children  sat  on  the  horses  and  tore  at  the 
bells  so  lustily  that  one  imagined  the  Wild  Hunt  itself 
was  coursing  round  and  round.  Add  to  this  the  noise 
of  the  hurdygurdies  and  the  bands  of  the  tea-gardens, 
where  thousands  of  people  are  sitting,  and  every  gar- 
den, big  or  little,  chokeful,  for  beer-drinking  mean- 
while  has  become  a  natural  characteristic  of  man. 
Then  for  a  change  there  are  gambling-booths  and 
shooting-galleries,  flower-stands,  where  one  may  ven- 
ture money  and  win  pretty  plants  for  pots,  as  well  as 
marketable  rubbish  of  every  description.  Some  ex- 
pose sandwiches  of  garlic  sausages  for  sale,  and  one 
woman  baked  real  potato-puffs  on  a  portable  stove, 
which  sold  most  rapidly.  A  stranger  may  carry  away 
with  him  a  correct  idea  of  the  migration  of  a  race 
from  this  place.  The  road  was  black  with  old  and 
young,  but  there  was  a  good  deal  of  colour  introduced 
by  the  smart  defenders  of  the  Fatherland,  who  either 
kept  together  in  herds,  or  took  their  young  women 
out  walking  singly.  Every  species  of  official  was  rep- 
resented— dark  blue,  light  blue,  and  even  the  quite  red 
from  Potsdam.  As  the  broad  pathways  were  insuffi- 
cient, hundreds  walked  along  the  lines,^  making  the 
dust  rise  in  clouds,  and  heavily-laden  trams  and  other 
vehicles  had  to  take  heed  that  no  bones  were  broken. 
We  progressed  but  slowly. 


^  Frau   Wilkelmi?ie. 

Before  coming  to  the  military  shooting  -  galleries 
there  is  a  small  strip  of  heath  on  the  right-hand  side, 
where  the  public  may  lie  down  under  the  trees.  Here, 
too,  every  spot  was  taken.  The  people  had  established 
themselves  in  family  groups  on  the  grass,  and  were 
enjoying  the  dainties  they  had  brought  with  them. 
Vendors  of  cakes  and  hot  sausages  strolled  about 
offering  their  wares,  while  portable  bodigas  supplied 
the  necessary  drink.  And  all  went  on  in  a  peaceable 
and  orderly  manner. 

My  Carl  said,  "  One  can  get  to  know  the  Berlin  peo- 
ple here  as  they  really  are.  Being  easily  satisfied,  they 
amuse  themselves  with  a  nothing  ;  being  quick  at  a 
pertinent  witticism,  they  are  never  at  a  loss  for  con- 
versation. Being  sociable,  they  do  not  begru4ge  their 
neighbour  getting  a  good  place  too,  and  noisy  bluster 
is  displeasing  to  them.  You  may  look  in  vain  for 
drunken  people.  The  forty  or  fifty  thousand  people 
who  visit  the  Hasenhaide  on  Sundays  govern  them- 
selves by  means  of  a  strongly  developed  sense  of 
order,  without  which  sociability  on  such  a  scale  would 
be  impossible." 

Herr  Briese  could  not  get  over  the  fact  that  the 
Hasenhaide  had  changed  itself,  so  to  speak,  into  a 
colossal  fair.  "  It  was  much  more  romantic  here  for- 
merly," he  sighed  in  pain  ;  "  but  that  was  long  ago." 
— "  When  Old  Nick  was  quite  a  boy,  I  suppose,"  re- 
marked Uncle  Fritz. — "  And  had  to  fetch  spice-brandy 
for  his  grandmother,"  continued  my  husband  in  the 
same  popular  phraseology. — "  Carl,"  I  said  reproach- 
fully, "what  will  Herr  Briese  think  of  you?  Such 
phrases  are  not  used  in  Rawitsch." — **  It  is  all  very 
well  for  you  to  jeer  at  me,"  .returned  Herr  Briese  ; 
"  but  you  try  living  for  thirty  years  in  Rawitsch,  and 
you  will  be  just  as  horrified  to  see  the  way  Berlin  in- 


At  the  Hasenhaide,  ^J 

creases  in  length  and  breadth." — "  It  can  hardly  cir- 
cumscribe its  limits  to  please  you!  "  laughed  Fritz, — 
"  It  would  be  unreasonable  to  wish  it,"  said  Herr 
Briese  testily.  "  Do  not  take  it  amiss  if  I  grieve  that 
good  old  customs  have  to  make  way  for  modern  ones. 
Everything  is  gone  to  which  my  heart  clung;  but  that 
was  always  my  luck  !  Nothing  favours  me  in  Berlin." 
With  these  words  he  looked  sorrowfully  towards  me, 
as  if  he  wanted  to  burden  me  with  the  responsibility 
of  his  having  vegetated  meanwhile.  But  how  could  I 
help  not  taking  a  fancy  to  him  ? 

Uncle  Fritz  clapped  him  good-naturedly  on  the 
shoulder  and  said:  "Don't  let  us  quarrel  about  it. 
Every  one  gets  his  dose  of  physic — the  only  question 
IS  as  to  how  he  will  take  it.  And  now  let  us  go  into 
the  New  World  ' — the  entrance  is  my  affair." — He 
got  the  tickets,  taking  them  grandly  for  the  best 
places,  and  we  passed  through  the  portals. 

The  impression  made  by  this  smaller  Hasenhaide  in 
the  big  one,  is  very  pleasant.  Green  trees,  with  num- 
berless chairs  and  tables  beneath  them;  in  the  back- 
ground the  broad  Indian  pavilion  on  the  hill,  with  the 
pond  and  its  fountains  in  front  of  it;  to  the  left,  booths 
and  their  curiosities  ;  to  the  right,  a  bal  ckampStre, 
merry-go-rounds,  the  pony  race-course  ;  on  one  side 
the  stage  and  the  big  orchestra,  and  whatever  else  is 
requisite  for  the  amusement  of  some  ten  thousand 
people.     It  has  a  most  prepossessing  effect. 

We  got  a  table  close  to  the  balloon,  which  was  just 
being  filled  ;  a  number  of  soldiers  were  busy  helping 
to  hold  the  monster.  "Any  one  can  go  up  in  it  on 
payment  of  fifty  marks,"  said  Uncle  Fritz  to  my  Carl; 
"  don't  you  feel  inclined  to  let  your  kite  *  have  a  fly  for 

*  The  German  for  kite  is  Drachen  (dragon),  which  Frau  Buchholz 
regards  as  an  allusion  to  herself. 


68  Frau   Wilhelntine. 

once?" — "I  forbid  the  use  of  such  personalities!"  I 
exclaimed.  "You  will  keep  your  insults  to  yourself, 
unless  you  wish  me  to  take  a  seat  elsewhere  !  "  Where- 
upon I  got  up,  and  looked  as  if  my  threat  had  been 
made  in  earnest.  At  this  moment  one  of  the  balloon 
people  came  up  to  us  with  the  warning,  "  Please  do 
not  tread  on  the  pipe,  or  there  might  be  an  accident." 
I  now  noticed  on  the  ground  behind  me  a  thick  roll  of 
oil-skin,  through  which  the  gas  was  conducted  into 
the  balloon,  and  this  scarcely  contributed  to  my  pleas- 
ure. Should  such  a  thing  explode,  one  would  be 
expedited  into  the  blessed  hereafter  in  less  than  no 
time. 

"Carl,"  I  admonished  him,  "we  will  get  away." — 
"  Don't  be  ridiculous,"  said  Uncle  Fritz. — "  You,  per- 
haps, have  had  your  life  insured  !  Mine  is  not.  Erica, 
'/et  us  go  !  " — "I  shall  remain  with  my  husband,"  she 
piped. — "Wilhelmine,  nothing  in  the  world  will  hap- 
pen to  us,"  said  my  husband  persuasively.  "  You  can- 
not get  a  better  view  anywhere." — "  Herr  Bricse,  will 
you  give  me  your  arm  ?  One  expects  respect  even 
though  one  may  be  in  the  Haide  !  " 

He  did  not  feel  quite  happy,  either,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  gas-pipe,  so  he  placed  himself  at  my 
disposal  with  great  alacrity.  We  forced  a  way  for  our- 
selves through  the  crowd  and  vanished. 

We  walked  silently  beside  each  other  for  a  space,  I 
being  still  so  full  of  my  first  anger.  And  could  I  be 
gentle  ?  Instead  of  Herr  Briese  feeling  himself  to 
some  extent  overcome,  he  prosed  away  as  equably  as 
if  Berlin  were  a  suburb  of  Rawitsch.  Then  my  Carl 
would  take  an  interest  in  the  fat  woman  with  the 
weights,  in  comparison  with  which  his  wife's  life  is  in- 
different to  him.  And  lastly,  Uncle  Fritz  puts  me 
down  as  a  dragon  in  the  presence  of  the  travelled  gen- 


At  the  Hasenhaide.  69 

tleman !  It  would  be  a  new  fashion  to  put  up  with 
things  like  that. 

But  there  was  still  worse  to  come.  "  I  pity  you  sin- 
cerely," began  Herr  Briese,  "for  not  being  under- 
stood as  you  deserve  to  be." — "  What  do  you  mean  by 
that?" — "Another  would  have  fulfilled  your  every 
wish — nay,  he  still  would  do  so — day  by  day.  Oh, 
how  unhappy  you  must  be  beside  such  a  tyrant !  " — 
"  What  tyrant  do  you  mean  ? " — "  Whom  can  I  mean 
but  your  husband  ?  " — "  Now  it's  beginning  to  dawn  on 
me,"  I  interrupted  him.  "  Do  you  wish  to  breed  dis- 
cord between  me  and  my  Carl  ?  to  paint  my  husband 
black  and  insinuate  yourself  into  my  good  graces' 
That  really  does  go  beyond  bounds!  What  are  you 
thinking  about  ?  No,  no,  most  worthy  sir,  I  will  none 
of  you  ;  no,  not  even  if  you  anoint  yourself  with  oiled 
butter.  Good-bye  to  you  !  "  I  looked  him  piercingly 
through  and  through,  and  left  him  standing  there  in 
all  his  worthlessness.     Such  an  old  serpent ! 

Meanwhile  there  was  the  roar  of  a  cannon-shot,  the 
music  struck  in  with  its  big  drums,  and  the  balloon 
began  its  ascent. 

This  was  a  marvellous  spectacle  for  the  thousands 
assembled  there,  but  for  me  it  was  a  mere  detail,  how- 
ever high  it  might  fly.  What  did  this  man  Briese  take 
me  for,  that  he  dared  so  to  insult  me  ?  I  hardly  ven- 
tured to  near  our  table  again. 

I  approached  it  downcast  and  deeply  wounded. 
Had  I  derogated  from  my  own  dignity  that  this  un- 
scrupulous sinner  dared  to  become  my  tempter  ?  Oh, 
no  ;  my  course  of  life  lay  bare  to  view,  white  and  vir- 
tuous as  a  freshly-shorn  lamb  !  No  blemishes  were 
to  be  found  there  which  I  needed  to  conceal  from  my 
Carl,  and  still  I  seemed  unpleasant  to  myself — de- 
graded in  my  own  eyes. 


70  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

"  Where  is  the  strange  gentleman  from  Kottbus  ? " 
asked  Uncle  Fritz. — "  He  has  taken  his  legs  in  his 
hands  and  is  running  on  his  elbows  to  Rawitsch,"  I 
answered  with  bitter  scorn, — "  Have  you  treated  him 
badly  ?  "  asked  my  husband. — "  Him  ?  Oh,  Carl,  if 
you  only  knew  !  But  no,  never  shall  you  discover 
what  a  generation  of  vipers  out  of  Paradise  this  same 
Briese  is.  He  has  so  completely  spoiled  the  entire 
evening  for  me  that  neither  music,  nor  whatever  else 
they  may  give  us,  can  please  me.  If  I  were  asked 
what  we  should  do,  I  would  suggest  going  home, 
more  especially  as  Erica  is  afraid  of  a  crowd." — "  If 
Fritz  is  with  me,  I  am  not  at  all  afraid." — ''We  will 
wait  for  the  illuminations,"  said  Uncle  Fritz,  in  oppo- 
sition as  usual. — However,  my  Carl  yielded,  partly 
because  he  saw  that  I  really  was  suffering,  and  partly 
also,  no  doubt,  because  he  wanted  to  know  what  had 
happened. 

It  was  not  until  we  had  left  the  Hasenhaide  and  the 
crowds  of  homeward-waltzing  pleasure-seekers  far 
behind  us  that  I  was  able  to  clothe  the  unheard-of  in 
words. — "  What  do  you  think  can  have  happened  ? " 
I  asked  suggestively. — *'  I  have  not  learned  thought- 
reading." — "  So  you  do  not  know  what  Herr  Briese 
wanted  ?  " — "  Oh,  yes  ;  to  go  in  quest  of  the  ruins 
of  his  youthful  reminiscences  ! "  — "  Carl,  am  I  a 
ruin  ? " — "  Who  says  so  ? " — "  You  !  It  was  for  my 
sake  he  came.  While  making  little  of  you,  he  had 
the  audacity  to  attempt  a  sort  of  love-making,  Carl." 

— "  But  really "— "  Don't  be  disturbed  ;  he  got  his 

deserts." — "  If  only  I  had  him  here,  I  should  belabour 
him  as  he  deserved." — "  Carl,  do  leave  bodily  prowess 
out  of  the  affair  ;  culture  must  turn  the  scale  here. 
And  I  can  tell  you  that  he  will  make  no  second  at- 
tempt.    But  I  should  like  to  request  rather  more  con- 


Fritz  and  Franz.  71 

sideration  from  you  ;  such  a  thing  could  simply  not 
occur  then  !  " 

"  Minchen " 

"  Carl,  be  silent.  I  shall  need  a  long  time  to  recover 
from  my  experiences  of  to-day." 

When  I  went  into  the  kitchen  next  morning,  Doris 
asked  me  how  the  pleasure  party  had  gone  off.  "  So- 
so,"  I  answered. — "  Yes,  yes  ;  too  many  boors  go 
there." 

"  There  is  not  the  least  complaint  to  be  made  about 
the  people,  Doris,  but  the  worst  Jesuits  hide  them- 
selves under  the  cloak  of  education," 

Doris  looked  at  me  very  inquisitively,  but  I  dared 
not  make  myself  more  intelligible.  One  discusses 
many  subjects  with  a  servant  who  behaves  well  and 
has  proved  herself  attached  to  the  family,  but  if  one 
goes  too  far  she  may  make  use  of  it  later  in  an  out- 
burst of  anger,  and  the  town  get  something  to  talk 
about,  though  it  may  be  utterly  false. 


FRITZ  AND  FRANZ. 

About  perambulators  and  lady-shows  —  Suspicious  reports  and 
turned-back  carpets — Why  marbles  are  dangerous  and  Franz  is 
vastly  amused — Why  human  feelings  are  hurt,  and  a  commis- 
sionaire is  sent  off — Why  Herr  Kleines  departs. 

There  are  people  who  use  up  one  day  after  another 
without  ever  arriving  at  the  conviction  that  no  return 
tickets  are  issued  for  their  life's  journey, — who  will 
not  be  taught  that  joys  and  sorrows  are  stations  where 
apparent  stoppages  are  made,  though  the  journey  goes 
on  without  break,  while  the  grey  of  age  settles  on 


72  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

them  by  degrees,  like  the  dust  of  the  railroad  and  the 
ashes  of  the  burnt-out  coals.  It  is  hard  to  see,  either 
by  oneself  or  one's  fellow-passengers,  how  one  is  get- 
ting along,  and  just  as  little  can  we  see  the  slow 
changes  in  our  own  faces,  for  we  accustom  ourselves 
to  the  picture  that  the  looking-glass  shows  us  daily  ; 
but  when  fresh  passengers  get  in,  they  make  known 
to  us  how  long  we  have  already  been  on  the  road. 

The  weather  gradually  became  very  autumnal.  For 
weeks  already  the  trees  in  the  town  had  been  looking 
like  brooms,  and  the  remaining  foliage  on  the  branches 
in  the  Friedrichshain  could  be  counted  by  leaves. 
How  short  the  time  is  which  separates  the  green  of 
May  and  the  breezes  of  spring  from  autumnal  browns 
and  from  winter,  with  its  longing  for  returning  life  ! 
Is  it  true  that  with  increasing  age,  years,  like  winter 
days,  become  shorter — those  self-same  years  which 
seemed  so  boundless  to  us  in  our  childhood  ?  The 
compilers  of  calendars  have  calculated  them  to  be  the 
same,  but  when  we  measure  them  by  our  wishes  and 
hopes,  we  notice  that  they  have  become  smaller,  and 
we  see  by  the  young  plants  that  spring  up  around  us, 
how  rapidly  they  range  themselves  in  rows.  How  long 
ago  is  it  since  Emmi  crept  about  the  carpet  at  my  feet, 
and  now  she  sits  there  just  as  I  used  to  do,  and  has 
her  two  little  ones  whose  play  she  watches  over.  Did 
I  meditate  upon  my  grandmotherhood  in  those  days  ? 
How  should  I  have  done  so  ? — the  years  were  still  too 
long. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  scarcely  anything  could  be 
sweeter  than  the  twins  when  they  are  being  put  to 
bed,  the  pure,  tiny  Raphaels,  with  their  sweet  fat  little 
arms  and  legs,  and  dimples  on  their  neck.s  that  one 
longs  to  bite  into.  It  is  impossible  to  k»ss  them 
enough,  and  Amanda  Kulecke,  who  is  so  fond  of  see- 


^-'^yies]^  -^^^  „T^ 


Prttz  and  Franz.  7| 

ihg  them  in  nature's  garb,  says  that  they  are  real  little 
Cupids.  And  they  know  very  well  that  people  are  fond 
of  them,  and  shriek  with  delight  when  Granny  takes 
them  and  hugs  them  one  at  a  time,  which  is  the  only 
way  to  manage  when  there  are  a  pair  of  brothers. 

But  for  all  that,  I  prophesied  from  the  very  begin- 
ning that  twins,  however  charming,  would  entail  a 
good  deal  of  trouble,  were  it  only  for  the  bother  with 
the  perambulator,  in  which  there  is  room  for  half  a 
squadron,  and  which  the  strength  of  one  person  is  in- 
sufficient to  get  down-stairs.  But  it  was  he  who  gave 
such  a  clumsy  order,  and  we  ladies  might  slave  away 
at  it,  for  the  nurse  was  far  too  high  and  mighty  to 
help  with  it.  Oh,  dear  no  !  she  had  to  be  attended  to 
all  round  like  a  sea-monster ;  no  dinner  was  good 
enough  for  her — she  demanded  a  double  portion  of 
butter  and  sandwiches  for  her  lunch  !  Emmi  and  I 
sang  a  Te  Deum  for  joy  when  she  evaporated  back  to 
the  Spreewald  to  recruit  for  her  next  situation.  One 
really  felt  free  again  in  one's  own  house. 

The  Doctor  had,  as  usual,  opposed  a  deaf  ear  to  all 
my  complaints,  though  the  woman  grew  more  pre- 
suming day  by  day.  He  even  forbade  our  taking  any 
measures  against  her,  for  fear  of  her  anger  taking 
effect  on  the  children.  But  had  he  to  put  up  with 
her  the  livelong  day?  He  goes  off  to  his  patients, 
and  does  not  enjoy  the  domestic  worries  with  us.  Un- 
der such  circumstances,  there  is  no  art  in  playing  the 
father. 

Since  the  children  made  their  appearance  in  this 
life,  he  has  become  very  sparing  in  the  matter  of  large 
parties,  with  the  exception  naturally  of  the  christening, 
for  which  I  composed  the  menu,  on  this  occasion  only ; 
but  I  fear  that  it  was  too  grand  for  him,  and  he  now 
wishes  to  return  to  simplicity  in  the  matter  of  expenses, 


74  Frau   WiUielmine. 

for  indeed  he  generally  gets  enthusiastic  about  what 
is  beautiful  and  costs  little.  It  can  hardly  be  con- 
sidered a  sign  of  culture  when  he  says  that  large 
parties  are  nothing  but  lady-shows.  But  doctors  do 
allow  themselves  to  have  prejudices  sometimes.  If 
one  has  acquired  a  family,  outside  circles  ought  not 
to  be  neglected.  Some  festivities  should  take  place 
from  time  to  time.  What  are  the  neighbours  likely 
to  say  if  they  never  notice  illuminated  windows  ? 
Why,  surely,  "  Poverty  and  pride  rule  on  the  Doctor's 
floor  ! " 

And  further,  ought  we  not  to  have  a  care  that  family 
circles  are  provided  for  the  growing  children,  where 
they  will  be  invited  and  find  companions  such  as 
young  ladies  when  they  have  arrived  at  the  age  of 
adolescence  ? 

Herr  Kleines  has  the  habit  of  paying  his  formal  calls 
on  Sunday  afternoons,  and  playing  with  the  children, 
in  order  to  tighten  his  hold  on  the  mother's  esteem, 
on  which  occasions  he  is  given  to  hopping  about  like 
a  crow,  and  making  faces  in  his  endeavours  to  amus 
them.  However,  his  success  is  mostly  doubtfiri*;  in- 
deed, energetically  as  he  moves  his  scalp  up  and  down 
and  waggles  his  ears,  we  have  experienced  the  fact 
that  Franz  has  yelled  till  he  had  to  be  taken  away, 
and  was  only  restored  to  equanimity  by  laborious  pat- 
ting on  his  back.  This  is  a  particularly  rare  gift  of 
nature  ;  but  of  what  avail  is  such  a  gift,  when  it  ap- 
pears to  the  children  in  their  nightly  dreams,  causes 
them  to  shriek  horribly,  and  was  only  given  up  after 
he  had  been  forbidden  to  wear  out  his  powers  ?  Also 
when  he  first  came,  he  usfti  to  bring  a  number  of  toys 
as  presents,  which  led  him  into  unnecessary  expense, 
as  there  always  had  to  be  duplicates.  My  son-in-law's 
hospitality  does  not  afford  a  sufficient  return  for  such 


*  .-f^w-c^ 


Fritz  and  Franz.  75 

extravagance,  and  one  does  not  care  about  taking 
presents  from  a  person  whose  salary,  though  fixed,  is 
by  no  means  too  ample.  Notwithstanding  the  toys, 
the  children  displayed  an  invincible  dislike  to  him 
which  may  have  arisen  from  the  fact  that  they  had 
not  developed  sufficient  intelligence  to  appreciate  the 
hygienic  objects  warranted  proof  against  licking,  and 
manufactured  according  to  the  dictates  of  the  Imperial 
Office  of  H5'giene  ;  and  when  he  made  them  a  present 
of  marbles  painted  with  a  colour  free  of  arsenic,  let 
us  hope  that  he  himself  had  no  idea  of  how  dangerous 
marbles  Aemselves  are,  nor  how  sternly  they  should 
be  forbidden  as  opposed  to  the  laws  of  sanitation. 

The  following  is  what  happened. 

Herr  Kleines  brings  his  marbles  with  him,.and  be- 
ing a  cheap  luxury,  he  is  allowed  to  bestow  them  on 
the  children.  He  proceeds  to  count  them  over  him- 
self :  six  for  Franz,  and  six  for  Fritz,  and  everything 
is  in  the  most  splendid  order  as  he  gives  them  to 
them.  The  little  folk  amuse  themselves  capitally  with 
^riT».4;;Qlling  balls,  and  Franz  abstains  from  screaming, 
and  Frilz  from  scratching  and  biting  Herr  Kleines,  as 
usual,  and  there  is  nothing  but  laughter  and  jubilation. 

While  the  children  are  busy  playing,  Herr  Kleines 
tells  us — I  happened  accidentally  to  be  at  Emmi's — 
what  is  going  on  elsewhere:  what  takes  place  in  fami- 
lies that  we  mutually  knov/,  where  he  too  visits  :  how 
thoughtless  Mrs.  So-and-so  is,  where  he  has  just  been 
calling:  how  badly  Mrs.  X.  dresses  herself,  though  she 
gets  her  gowns  from  Paris  (N.  B. — which  I  doubt): 
and  what  such  a  one  has  saM  about  her,  and  what  she 
has  said  about  him;  and  all  the  rest  of  it;  which  is 
very  entertaining  to  listen  to  when  it  concerns  people 
with  whom  one  is  not  connected,  but  which  may  lead 
to  a  good  deal  of  mischief  should  they  hear  about  it. 


76  Frau   Wilhelmine, 

Then  when  I  interrupt  him  in  extremely  question 
able  details:  '*Herr  Kleines,  let  us  hope  that  they  are 
imaginings  of  your  own  manufacture,"  he  flies  into  a 
rage  directly,  swears  that  both  eyes  and  ears  have  been 
witnesses  of  what  passed  behind  closed  doors,  and 
that  silence  is  kept  because  a  challenge  to  a  duel 
would  be  the  only  possible  result.  But  neither  Emmi 
nor  I  quite  believe  all  that  he  says.  One  must  con- 
sider that  when  paying  a  visit,  people  merely  want 
something  to  tell;  and  that  being  so,  a  little  more  or 
less  is  not  of  much  consequence. 

After  Herr  Kleines  had  left,  and  the  children  did 
not  want  to  play  at  marbles  any  longer,  I  gathered  the 
things  up.  "I  say,  Emmi,  were  there  not  twelve  mar- 
bles?" I  asked. — "Yes,"  she  answered;  "he  gave  six 
to  Franz,  and  six  to  Fritz — that  makes  twelve  to- 
gether."— "  But  there  ^e  only  eleven  here." — "  Quite 
enough  too,"  said  Emmi. — "I  am  not  thinking  about 
that,"  I  answered;  "but  where  is  the  one  marble?" — 
"  Lost,"  laughed  Emmi  at  my  anxiety. — "  I  know  that, 
but  the  question  is,  where  is  it  ?  I  only  hope  that  no 
one  has  swallowed  it." 

"  Good  gracious  I  "  exclaimed  Emmi,  in  a  desperate 
state  of  fright.  "That  ball  must  be  found.  Let  us 
look  for  it,  mamma," — "  Where  is  the  nurse  ? " — "  Gone 
out." — "  Then  we  must  set  to  work." 

So  the  two  of  us  began  the  search  ;  on  the  carpet, 
under  the  carpet,  under  the  furniture,  upon  the  furni- 
ture, in  the  ante-room,  on  the  window-sill,  we  lifted 
the  children  up,  put  them  down  again,  turned  back 
the  carpet  again,  lifted  the  children  once  more,  search- 
ed once  more  in  every  corner,  turned  up  the  carpet 
once  more.     No  marble  was  to  be  found. 

"  One  of  them  has  swallowed  it,"  said  Emmi,  in 
fearful  conviction. 


Fritz  and  Franz.  yj 

"  But  which  ? "  I  asked.     "  Franz  or  Fritz  ?  " 

"  How  am  I  to  know  ?  If  only  my  husband  were 
here ;  and  it  may  be  a  full  hour  before  he  comes  ! 
What  are  we  to  do  until  then  ?  Shall  we  give  the  child 
a  hot  drink  ? " 

"  Which  of  them  ?  "  I  asked  energetically,  the  better 
to  recall  her  to  presence  of  mind,  for  her  composure 
was  visibly  failing.  "  Do  you  know  which  ?  I  imag- 
ine it  is  Franz." 

"  Fritz,  beyond  doubt.  He  puts  everything  into  his 
mouth." 

"  Excuse  me,  Fritz  takes  more  after  us  Buchholzes, 
and  I  am  not  aware  that,  even  in  our  earliest  youth, 
any  one  of  our  family  was  distinguished  by  greedi- 
ness and  gluttony  ;  no,  if  either  of  them  has  swallowed 
it,  it  must  be  Franz." 

Emmi  examined  the  child^n  with  anxious  scrutiny: 
"  Don't  you  find  too  that  Franz  is  looking  quite  pale 
already  ?  Oh,  Heavens,  if  he  should  die  !  Where  can 
my  husband  be  ? "  She  put  he:r  forefinger  into  the 
child's  mouth  and  rummaged  round  and  round  it,  as 
if  the  ball  were  likely  to  be  sticking  there  still ;  but 
without  any  result,  except  the  natural  one  that  the 
boy  yelled  lustily. 

"  How  awfully  he  must  be  suffering  !  That  abomi- 
nable Herr  Kleines  !  What  business  had  he  to  bring 
the  children  those  stupid  marbles?  He  must  know 
that  they  are  just  the  sort  of  things  for  them  to  put 
into  their  mouths.  He  shall  have  the  pleasure  of 
hearing  a  piece  of  my  mind  !  Try  to  be  quiet,  my 
precious  Franz  ;  you  will  soon  be  better ;  papa  will 
cure  his  little  boy ;  he  will  find  out  directly  where 
the  marble  has  gone.  Oh,  dear,  I  hope  he  won't  have 
to  use  the  knife  !  " 

"  Emmi,"  I   said,  "  don't  talk  yourself  intp  an  un- 


78  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

necessary  state  of  grief  and  excitement.  Do  wait  till 
you  know  more,  so  that,  should  it  be  required,  you 
may  have  strength  to  keep  your  head  clear  in  the 
event  of  the  worse.  Imaginary  dangers  are  no  dan- 
gers— they  are  merely  a  form  of  self-torture " 

"  Really  ? "  she  interrupted  me  ;  "  then  perhaps  the 
marble  does  not  constitute  a  danger  ?  According  to 
that,  I  suppose  the  child  would  need  to  have  swallow- 
ed a  nine-pin  in  order  to  arouse  your  sympathy  !  " 

"  Emmi !  " 

"  Well,  yes,"  she  remarked,  with  symptoms  of  yield- 
ing. "  Here  I  sit  in  terrible  trouble,  and  you  worry 
me  with  your  moral  lessons  !  Oh,  mamma,  where  can 
Franz  be  stopping  ?  Don't  you  see  that  the  child  is 
getting  weaker  from  minute  to  minute  ?  " 

"  That  is  the  result  of  his  bellowing." 

"  Oh,  my  precious  child,  my  sweet  little  Franz,  don't 
cry  like  that !  "  she  now  began.  "  Do  be  a  good  boy 
again  !  "  and  she  rocked  him  backwards  and  forwards 
in  her  arms.  According  to  my  ideas,  the  child  was 
simply  made  unmanageable  by  this  exceptionable 
overflow  of  tenderness,  and  determined  not  to  give  in. 

"  Emmi,"  I  remarked,  as  dispassionately  as  possible, 
"  under  existing  circumstances  I  should  not  rock  the 
child  so  violently,  if  I  were  in  your  place.  The  marble 
might  easily  be  jerked  lower  down,  and  harden  there 
afterwards." 

She  stared  at  me  in  horror,  just  as  I  have  seen  a  girl 
do,  who  was  acting  Ophelia  at  the  play-house,  when 
she  went  mad. 

"  Do  you  think  so  ? "  she  shrieked.  "  Then  there  is 
no  longer  hope  ?  Franz  had  a  similar  case  the  other 
day,  where  a  lead  soldier  had  been  swallowed.  The 
boy  had  to  die.     Oh,  my  Franz,  my  precious  Franz  ! " 

The  Doctor  arrived  now,  and  relieved  the  tension  of 


Fritz  and  Franz.  79 

the  situation.  Emmi  screamed  at  him  like  a  lunatic  : 
"  Save  your  son  !  "  and  sent  a  perceptible  thrill  through 
him.  It  was  not  until  after  I  had  explained  to  him 
how  the  marbles  had  come  into  the  house,  and  what  a 
fool  Herr  Kleines  was,  that  the  doctor  took  the  upper 
nand  of  the  father,  and  he  began  to  examine  Franz, 
which  amused  the  little  scamp  vastly.  After  a  pause, 
he  said  :  "  The  boy  is  as  well  as  ever ;  what  are  you 
making  such  a  fuss  about  ?  " — "  Possibly  Fritz  has  got 
it,"  sobbed  Emmi. 

"  Or  neither  of  them,"  said  the  Doctor, 

"  One  of  them  must  have  swallowed  it,"  I  answered  ; 
"for  the  ball  has  vanished  from  the  earth  without 
leaving  a  trace." — "If  it  is  only  properly  looked  for, 
it  is  sure  to  be  found,"  spoke  the  Doctor. — "  We  have 
turned  everything  topsy-turvy  already." — "Women 
are  never  thorough,"  he  grumbled,  and  set  to  work  to 
unearth  the  marble, 

I  had  no  time  to  answer  him  with  the  want  of  con- 
sideration that  he  deserved,  as  the  rolling  back  of  the 
carpet,  frantic  grabs  behind  the  furniture,  and  turning 
out  of  corners  began  afresh — in  a  word,  the  whole 
bother  over  again.  At  last  he  counted  the  marbles 
over  once  more;  but  the  full  dozen  could  not  be  made 
up  for  all  his  endeavours. — "  Eleven  remain  eleven,"  I 
said  angrily. 

The  Doctor  scratched  the  back  of  his  head  :  "  The 
marble  has  disappeared." 

"  We  knew  as  much  as  that  long  ago,"  I  gave  him 
to  understand,  "  although  we  *  women  '  do  not  possess 
thoroughness.     No,  positively  not  a  scrap." 

"  Can  Pitti  have  carried  it  off  ?  "  he  asked. — "  The 
dog  never  showed  his  nose  in  the  room."  — "  Then 
something  must  be  done,"  he  said  ;  "  but  keep  quiet, 
Emmi ;  it  is  a  matter  of  no  importance.     Franz  must 


-■--■■.- ■-^if^WJ^'S 


80  Frau   Wilhelmine. 


be  given  a  tablespoonful  of  salad  oil,  to  be  followed 
by  a  prescription  which  I  will  write  out." 

"  And  how  about  Fritz  ?  "  I  interposed. 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  Fritz  ?  " 

"  Are  you  so  certain  as  to  which  has  swallowed  the 
marble  ? " 

"  Both  boys  to  have  the  same  treatment,"  decided 
the  Doctor  shortly,     *'  The  marble  must  be  found." 

"  Now  one  innocent  creature  is  obliged  to  suffen  for 
the  sake  of  the  other,"  I  remarked,  my  humanitarian 
proclivities  being  somewhat  hurt.  "  I  consider  that  it 
is  simply  inexcusable  !  " 

"  It  is  inexcusable  that  the  children  were  not  better 
looked  after  !  "  he  scolded.  "  If  they  had  been  with 
the  nurse,  it  would  certainly  not  have  happened." 

This  reproach  roused  my  ire.  "  My  worthy  son-in- 
law,"  I  therefore  answered  in  measured  tones,  "the 
nurse  was  a  horror.  The  responsibility  does  not  rest 
upon  us.  I  said  at  once  that  there  would  be  terrible 
confusion;  and  matters  can  hardly  be  worse  than  they 
are  at  present.  If  the  blame  is  to  rest  upon  any  one, 
it  must  be  upon  you,  for  there  have  never  been  twins 
in  our  family." 

And  what  was  the  answer  he  made  to  this  with 
jeering  laughter,  instead  of  being  reduced  to  abject 
silence  ?     "I  am  sorry  for  that — the  race  is  good." 

The  only  possible  answer  to  this  was  to  turn  away 
in  wounded  disgust. 

After  he  had  endeavoured  to  pacify  Emmi  by  as- 
suring her  that  so  far  there  were  no  grounds  for  alarm, 
he  went  off  to  write  his  prescription.  The  little  ones 
got  their  oil,  which  did  not  increase  the  charm  of  life, 
and  when  the  girl  brought  the  medicine  later,  they 
seemed  still  more  out  of  love  with  existence;  at  least, 
if  one  might  judge  from  the  expression  of  their  little 


Fritz  and  Franz.  8i 

faces,  which  were  drawn  into  heart-rending  grimaces. 
But  must  not  every  one  from  earliest  youth  find  out 
by  experience  that  this  earth  of  ours  is  occasionally  a 
vale  of  tears  whose  paths  are  not  paved  with  pan- 
cakes ? 

After  the  oil  and  medicine  had  been  administered  to 
them,  they  were  put  to  bed.  But  such  a  fuss  as  they 
made  !     The  bare  recollection  is  enough. 

First  of  all,  it  never  struck  them  to  feel  tired,  for  it 
was  not  going-to-bed  time,  and  then  Franz  is  such  a 
fidget  that  he  never  can  lie  still  under  any  circum- 
stances. As,  however,  bed  is  the  place  for  sick  folk, , 
and  marbles  taken  internally  may  be  counted  among 
the  most  threatening  symptoms,  we  transferred  this 
at-home  day  to  the  bed-room,  Emmi  sitting  beside 
Franz,  and  I  by  Fritz,  who  utterly  belied  his  Buchholz 
nature  from  sheer  perversity,  and  behaved  just  as 
naughtily  as  Franz,  although  he  is  usually  a  thought- 
ful child  given  to  amuse  himself  quietly.  Did  we  hug 
ourselves  in  the  belief  that  they  had  settled  down,  up 
jumped  the  brothers  ;  and  if  we  had  just  taken  them 
up,  back  into  bed  they  wanted  to  go.  The  Doctor 
must  have  prescribed  something  of  a  velocipedic 
nature  for  them,  otherwise  they  never  could  have 
carried  on  as  they  did. 

Emmi  was  getting  visibly  worn  out.  "Child,"  I 
said,  "  do  me  the  favour  of  taking  a  proper  dinner  with 
your  husband — the  girl  and  I  will  do  sick-nursing 
meanwhile  ;  I  can  get  mine  later  on.  We  will  send  a 
commissionaire  to  the  Landsberger-strasse  to  tell  them 
that  I  am  remaining  here  and  will  return  home  towards 
evening." 

"  Do  you  think  I  am  one  of  those  unnatural  mothers 
who  desert  their  angels  when  they  are  tottering  on  the 
brink  of  the  grave  ?  " 


82  Frau   Wilhelniine. 

"  Rubbish  ! "  I  said  ;  "  when  only  one  of  them  can 
be  in  danger,  and  even  your  husband  does  not  know 
which  it  is  !  And  if  there  really  were  danger,  he 
would  tell  us  of  it.  Go,  Emmi  ;  he  does  not  like  din- 
ing alone,  and  I  shall  have  you  ill  on  my  hands  too." — 
She  allowed  herself  to  be  persuaded,  and  as  the  Doc- 
tor came  in  again  to  see  how  matters  were  progress- 
ing, she  plucked  up  some  courage  when  he  was  unable 
to  discover  further  cause  for  anxiety. 

He  understands  his  profession  thoroughly,  I  must 
acknowledge  that,  but  yet  he  was  unable  to  bring  the 
marble  to  light ;  and  Emmi  grew  more  and  more  ex- 
cited the  oftener  our  hopes  were  deceived. 

This  being  so,  it  would  have  been  my  duty  to  re- 
main overnight  and  assist  my  daughter  ;  but  the  Doc- 
tor advised  my  going  home,  more  especially  as  there 
was  no  fever,  and  the  children  were  slumbering  peace- 
fully. The  only  thing  that  ailed  them  was  that  they 
were  a  little  pulled  down  from  the  effects  of  the  medi- 
cine. 

When  I  got  home  I  found  my  good  Carl  in  the  mid- 
dle of  a  pleasant  game  of  skat,  the  players  being  him- 
self, Herr  Felix,  and  Herr  Kleines,  whom  he  had  met 
out  walking  and  taken  back  home  for  this  purpose. 

"Was  there  anything  wrong  at  the  Doctor's,  that 
you  had  to  send  a  messenger  ? "  he  asked. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  I  exclaimed,  and,  letting  fly  at  Herr 
Kleines,  "  you  are  the  cause  !  How  could  you  be  so 
unreasonable  as  to  bring  toys  to  the  children  which 
may  cause  them  to  lose  their  health  ? " — "  I  do  not 
understand  you,"  he  answered,  trying  to  smile  down 
my  indignation. — "  You  never  do  seem  to  comprehend 
when  you  do  mischief,  and  consider  yourself  diaboli- 
cally clever  into  the  bargain  to  practise  such  sleighi-of- 
hand  as  you  did  with  the  marbles." — "  But,  excuse  me, 


■'^,?s;';?^i>f-S*:-~  , 


Fritz  and  Franz.  83 

surely  the  children  are  not  able  to  count  as  yet." — 
"How  so?  What  do  you  mean  by  that?" — "Well, 
two  into  eleven  won't  go." — "  Do  you  mean  to  jeer  at 
me  ? " — "  Certainly  not.  I  only  had  eleven  marbles, 
and  in  order  not  to  spoil  the  symmetry  of  the  thing,  I 
said  to  Franz,  *  Here  are  six,'  and  just  the  same  to 
Fritz."—"  Then  Fritz  only  had  five  ? "— "  That's  it !  I 
did  a  bit  of  conjuring." — "  Thank  God  !  "  I  exclaimed  ; 
"and  we  thought  that  he  had  swallowed  one." — 
"  Which  of  them  ?  "  asked  my  husband  ;  "  Fritz  ?  "— 
"  No,  Franz."—"  You  said  Fritz  just  now  !  "— "  Don't 
make  me  mix  up  the  twins  more  completely  than  I 
have  been  doing  all  the  afternoon,  Carl ;  at  last  we 
really  did  not  know  which  was  which.  And  as  for 
you,  Herr  Kleines,  make  your  way  as  quickly  as  may 
be  to  the  Doctor's,  so  that  my  daughter  may  be  re- 
lieved of  her  cares.  It  is  all  through  you  that  the  poor 
little  souls  have  had  to  take  such  horrid  stuff." — "  But 
surely  it  was  only  Fritz  ? "  said  my  husband. — "  Carl, 
how  can  you  talk  such  nonsense?  it  was  Franz  who 
swallowed  the  ball !  "—"Oh,  it's  Franz  now,  is  it?"— 
"  No,  neither  of  them." — "  Then  why  had  they  to  take 
horrid  stuff  ?  " 

Words  failed  me.  My  brain  was  all  in  a  whirl  with 
this  questioning.  I  sat  down  and  fanned  myself  with 
my  handkerchief.  The  only  sign  of  life  I  gave  was  by 
my  breathing. 

Herr  Kleines  showed  himself  from  his  most  agreeable 
side,  which  on  this  occasion  was  the  invisible  one ;  in- 
deed he  probably  recognised  that  a  messenger  of  peace 
could  never  arrive  too  early. 

Betti  made  me  a  cup  of  tea  and  a  sandwich,  of  which 
I  stood  in  need,  and  did  all  in  her  power  to  quiet  my 
nerves  again,  so  that  I  gradually  found  myself  capable 
of  relating  the  events.    They  were  all  glad  that  it  had 


84  Frau    Wilhelmine. 

been  a  false  alarm,  and  now  that  all  was  quiet  again, 
I  felt  with  absolute  clearness  how  completely  the  two 
little  ones  had  grown  into  one's  heart ;  for  while  I  was 
at  Emmi's,  I  had  to  take  the  matter  with  apparent 
ease,  as  a  kind  of  set-off  to  her  despondency.  No  ; 
rather  let  us  have  a  pair  of  twins  than  lose  one  of 
them,  even  though  Grandmamma  Buchholz  must  work 
till  she  drops. 

"Well,"  I  said,  "a  few  more  rounds  will  be  a  good 
antidote  for  our  fright.  I  can  tell  you  that  it  is  no 
easy  matter  to  nurse  one  child  through  such  an  ill- 
ness, let  alone  two.  But  I  do  feel  confidence  in  our 
doctor — he  knows  what  he  is  about." 

My  husband  declared  a  solo  in  clubs  straight  off, 
but  as  I  held  two  knaves  and  five  trumps  against  him, 
he  was  bound  to  lose.  That  was  a  bright  spot  of  light 
after  the  troubles  of  the  day. 


A  BAD  TIME. 


Why  silence  is  golden — About  overweight  and  playing  at  hide-and- 
seek — Why  Max  wishes  to  marry  and  Wilhelmine  is  without  a 
sign — About  protection  from  draught  and  the  law  relating  to 
accidents — Why  the  Aunt  from  Btitzow  "walks,"  and  "E"  is 
pronounced  like  "I" — Renz  is  announced  and  the  auction  has 
taken  place — About  genealogical  trees  in  Zehlendorf,  and  the 
millions  who  are  to  be  embraced. 

I  WONDER  who  can  have  invented  that  stupid  phrase, 
"  Silence  is  golden  "  ?  Of  course  it  is  pretty  much  the 
same  to  me,  whoever  it  may  have  been,  for  generally 
speaking  it  is  in  a  very  few  cases  that  people  know 
where  a  thing  is  derived  from,  and  continually  make 
guesses  that  are  invariablv  wrong,  at  Schiller  or  Faust, 


A  Bad  Time.  85 


when  later  researches  reveal  that  it  comes  from  Uhland 
or  some  book  that  is  close  at  hand  ;  but  if  I  did  meet 
him,  I  should  like  to  ask  him  :  "  Sir,  have  you  ever 
held  your  tongue  for  a  considerable  space  ?"  and  when 
he  speechlessly  retorts,  ''What  do  you  mean  ?"  I  would 
answer,  "  Because,  if  so,  you  never  would  have  dared 
to  give  utterance  to  such  rubbish.  For  the  rest,  pray 
sit  you  quietly  down,  and  I  will  put  the  matter  in  a 
nutshell  for  you. 

"  Supposing  a  person  has  some  anxiety  and  can 
thoroughly  talk  it  over,  she  feels  as  if  she  had  just 
come  out  of  a  bath  or  put  on  her  Sunday  clothes,  even 
though  her  listener  should  be  nothing  but  a  neighbour 
with  whom  she  is  not  even  on  bowing  terms  ;  under 
such  circumstances,  one  comprehends  the  meaning  of 
freedom  of  speech  for  which  all  the  world  is  clamour- 
ing. But  should  circumstances  ordain  that  you  are 
obliged  to  hold  your  tongue,  you  move  about  as  if  a 
weight  were  keeping  you  down." 

During  the  many  years  we  had  been  together  I  had 
not  had  one  single  secret  from  my  husband  with 
the  exception  of  Christmas  and  birthday  presents, 
and  to  these  may  be  added  broken  kitchen  utensils,  or 
short-lived  glass,  which  puts  in  a  fresh  appearance 
unperceived,  for  he  waves  such  things  aside  as  trivial- 
ities when  I  bring  them  under  his  notice  ;  and  now  I 
was  bound,  with  respect  to  Max,  to  take  Frieda  into 
my  house,  and  the  other  girl  as  well,  without  my  Carl 
dreaming  anything  about  it.  Of  course  he  must  hear 
of  it  some  time,  but  I  was  in  a  deadly  fright  of  this 
some  time.  For,  firstly,  should  I  not  be  obliged  to 
acknowledge  that  I  had  lost  my  wager?  And  sec- 
ondly, he  had  an  undisputed  right  to  build,  which 
would  cause  him,  thirdly,  to  laugh  at  me  ;  and  fourth- 
ly, he  would  obtain  Uncle   Fritz's  help  in  doing  so. 


86  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

Fifthly,  I  should  be  compromised  in  Max's  eyes  in  the 
event  of  my  husband  withholding  his  consent,  and 
therefore,  sixthly,  I  should  come  to  grief  all  round. 
I  was  sitting,  as  it  is  allegorically  expressed,  in  the 
mire  between  two  chairs. 

In  hours  of  deepest  despondency  the  thought  some- 
times crossed  my  mind  that  I  would  explain  to  Max 
that  m)''  Carl  would  none  of  it.  But  to  go  to  Switzer- 
land by  means  of  lies  !  No  ;  the  consciousness  of  it 
would  have  become  an  unbearable  extra-charge,  which 
would  have  murdered  every  pleasure  of  the  journey. 
Fancy  sitting  in  the  train  like  Cain,  and  being  unable 
to  rise  to  enthusiasm  over  the  picturesque  charms  of 
Nature  !     Far  better  relinquish  the  idea. 

At  last  I  devised  some  sort  of  a  scheme  by  concert- 
ing with  Max  that  the  business  should  not  be  made 
known  for  the  preseqt,  until  Betti's  marriage,  or  until 
I  judged  expedient  to  speak  about  it.  Meanwhile,  I 
hoped  for  a  suitable  moment  that  chance  might  afford 
for  my  better  assistance.  Frieda  had  only  consented 
to  the  proposition  after  having  declined  it  peremp- 
torily at  first.  Max  has  not  informed  me  again  as  to 
what  she  said  about  me,  but  I  am  convinced  that 
cross-patch  was  quite  the  most  complimentary  term. 

When  she  learnt  further  that  I  had  a  general  idea 
of  taking  in  some  young  girls,  and  that  she  would 
find  a  companion,  she  became  more  reasonable,  and 
was  disabused  of  the  idea  that  the  Buchholzes'  house 
had  been  turned  into  a  den  for  the  taming  of  neglect- 
ed creatures,  expressly  on  her  account.  If  she  had 
got  wind  of  it,  were  it  only  as  much  as  gets  through 
a  shut  stove-door,  then  it  would  be  all  up  with  us. 

Besides  this,  I  treated  her  with  greater  sympathy 
when  I  met  her,  and  closed  my  eyes  internally  in 
order  not  to  see  her  faults  ;  for  looked  at  by  the  light 


A  Bad  Time.  Zy 


of  clear  intelligence,  she  was  a  very  undesirable  girl. 
I  will  not  absolutely  say  that  Love  was  as  blind  as  a 
bat  in  Max's  case,  but  certainly  he  had  a  film  over  his 
eyes,  or  was  short-sighted,  to  say  the  least  of  it. 

Frieda  too  drew  rather  nearer  to  me,  but  unfortu- 
nately I  was  obliged  to  turn  the  conversation  when 
she  hinted  at  her  approaching  appearance  as  a  pillar 
of  the  house.  My  being  condemned  to  silence  un- 
questionably did  not  cause  my  couch  to  be  spread 
with  gold,  and  the  longer  I  put  off  the  period  for  a 
general  confession,  the  more  completely  my  courage 
was  reduced  to  a  state  of  unconquerable  flabbiness,  in . 
consequence  of  which  my  health  also  went  overboard. 
The  Doctor  therefore  was  quite  right  in  his  diagnosis 
when  he  explained  that  my  occasional  increased  diffi- 
cult)'' in  breathing  was  due  to  asthma  on  the  nerves, 
and  advised  me  to  take  valerian  ;  which,  however,  was 
useless  beyond  spreading  disagreeable  odours,  for  it 
was  not  a  proper  prescription,  but  merely  a  recom- 
mendation.    How  can  that  be  of  any  use  ? 

My  kind  Carl  even  stinted  himself  in  tobacco  while 
ia  my  company,  as  the  smoke  irritated  my  throat ; 
but  even  that  was  in  vain,  as  I  could  not  put  aside 
my  cares  and  endless  games  of  hide-and-seek ;  for 
was  not  the  other  girl  still  weighing  me  down  ? 

I  had  conveyed  my  consent  by  letter  ;  Frau  Schulz 
had  got  a  faithful  promise  that  her  daughter  would 
be  received  by  me  for  her  further  education,  and  I  had 
about  three  letters  a  fortnight,  demanding  the  carry- 
ing out  of  her  offer. 

"  Wilhelmine,"  remarked  my  Car],  "  your  foreign 
correspondence  has  been  unusually  lively  for  some 
time.     What  have  you  in  view  ?  " 

"  Nothing  ;  it  is  all  about  the  geese." 

*  What,  now  that  we  have  the  covered  markets  } " 


.^-}, 


88    •  Frau    Williehnine. 

he  interposed.  "  I  should  think  that  you  would  find 
choice  enough  there.  Don't  bother  yourself  on  my 
account,  Wilhelmine.  I  can  eat  them,  even  though 
they  may  not  be  so  well  fed." 

"Oh,  Carl,"  I  longed  to  exclaim,  "this  sort  of  goose 
would  turn  away  your  appetite  !  "  but  his  undeserved 
kindness  covered  me  with  confusion  and  rendered  me 
incapable  of  telling  the  truth.  Could  I  abuse  this 
moment  of  sincere  affection,  by  making  a  murderous 
onslaught  on  my  unsuspecting  husband  with  two  sud- 
den housewife's  helps  ?     No,  I  could  not  do  it. 

Nor  could  a  suitable  occasion  be  found  during  the 
next  few  days  ;  the  record  of  my  sins  and  secrets  had 
grown  too  big  a  one  for  me  to  begin  on  it  of  my  own 
accord.  After  a  few  more  days  Herr  Max  came  round 
to  beg  that  his  Frieda  might  be  taken  in  at  once,  as 
her  father  was  on  the  point  of  making  a  marriage 
which  was  lowering  to  Frieda.  There  certainly  would 
be  some  misfortune  when  the  new  wife  was  brought 
home  ;  the  only  thing  left  for  him  to  do  was  to  marry 
Frieda,  in  the  event  of  my  not  being  able  to  give  her 
shelter. 

"  Max,"  I  exclaimed,  "  has  everything  entered  into  a 
conspiracy  against  me  ? " 

He  allowed  me  some  little  time  for  reflection.  That 
gave  me  a  trace  of  relief,  which,  however,  was  not  to 
be  of  long  duration,  for  in  her  next  billet-doux  Frau 
Schulz  opened  out  before  me  the  pleasant  prospect  of 
taking  me  unawares  shortly  with  her  daughter  in  the 
midst  of  my  daily  avocations,  without  ceremony  or 
preparation,  so  that  she  might  be  able  to  see  at  a 
glance  what  our  habits  were.  Would  not  that  be 
charming  ?  Oh,  certainly  ;  charming  with  a  ven- 
geance ! 

Now  I  had  to  devise '  further   subterfuges.      How 


pt    "^5^5K■^^f^»r-'-Ts^^'"  ?  -*- 


A  Bad  Time.  S^T 


painful  it  is  when  one  has  recourse  to  concealments 
and  untruths  !  It  was  nothing  but  a  tiny,  tiny  neces- 
sary reserve  to  start  with,  and  now  I  have  floundered 
into  the  midst  of  embarrassments,  and  am  obliged  to 
prevaricate  until  I  hardly  know  myself  whether  I  am 
telling  the  truth  or  not.  But  I  have  vowed  that  as 
soor  aj  everything  is  once  set  straight,  there  shall  not 
be  the  slightest  veiling  of  events  in  future.  The 
truth,  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth. 

What  pretext  had  I  better  impose  on  Frau  Schulz 
to  prevent  her  making  her  invasion  ?  Should  I  write 
that  we  had  upholsterers  in  the  house  ?  That  would 
come  out  later.  Or  that  we  had  small-pox?  That 
would  be  simply  wicked.  Or  spring  cleaning?  That 
might  be  just  what  she  wanted  to  see.  At  last  I  hit 
on  the  idea  of  having  visitors  in  the  house.  She 
would  feel  in  their  way,  and  they  would  feel  in  her 
way;  besides,  we  could  not  know  whether  we  might 
not  be  making  an  excursion  ;  enough,  did  she  wish 
for  anything,  she  must  specify  accurately  both  date 
and  hour,  and  we  could  arrange  a  meeting  in  the 
"Franciscan."  I  could  make  no  other  arrangement. 
Selah ! 

However,  she  did  what  such  an  individual  would  be 
likely  to  do  :  chose  the  exact  hour  when  we  would  be 
at  dinner  and  announced  herself  for  the  following  day, 
so  that  escape  on  my  side  was  an  impossibility,  and  a 
plausible  excuse  for  my  absence  from  the  dinner-table 
had  to  be  invented.  But  what  an  arduous  piece  of 
work  it  was  !  After  I  had  been  nearly  reduced  to 
despair  and  my  brain  was  well-nigh  reeling,  I  discov- 
ered the  advertisement  of  a  sale  of  furniture  by  auc- 
tion at  Leppeke's,  where,  as  I  made  my  Carl  believe, 
I  might  perhaps  acquire  some  old  pieces  suitable  for 
Betti's  establishment. 


90  Frau   WilJielmine. 

He  certainly  thought  that  the  antiques  were  made 
much  better  new  in  Berlin  ;  but  although  he  was  right 
seven  times  over,  I  was  forced  to  hide  my  opinion  from 
him  on  this  occasion.     Frau  Schulz  was  in  sight. 

Just  as  I  am  about  entering  the  "  Franciscan,"  and 
soliloquising,  "  She  is  sure  to  be  near  the  entrance  on 
the  right-hand  side,  so  that  you  will  meet  her  straight 
away,"  I  remember  with  the  utmost  horror  that  I  don't 
know  Frau  Schulz  at  all,  and  that  Frau  Schulz  does 
not  know  me,  and  that  no  single  symbol  of  meeting, 
such  as  a  rose  or  a  handkerchief,  has  been  agreed 
upon.  "  Never  mind,"  I  continue  to  myself  ;  "  a  mo- 
ther with  a  daughter  cannot  well  be  missed,  and  after 
all  one  has  an  eye  for  country  cousins."  So  into  the 
Dardanelles  I  plunged. 

After  searching  through  the  first  room  without  dis- 
covering her,  I  inspect  the  second  ;  and  as  there  are 
nothing  but  men  seated  there,  I  pursue  my  devious 
way  through  the  third  and  fourth  rooms,  without  find- 
ing any  one  among  the  many  guests  bearing  the  least 
resemblance  to  a  mother  and  her  daughter.  The  same 
perspective  meets  me  everywhere  ;  not  a  sign  of  Frau 
Schulz.  Such  waiters  as  I  interviewed  declared  that 
they  had  seen  nothing  resembling  her — no,  not  even 
with  the  promise  of  a  douceur. 

"  Probably  Zehlendorf  time  is  slow,"  I  consoled  my- 
self, like  Columbus,  who  had,  as  we  know,  to  make 
many  fruitless  attempts  at  discovery  before  he  at  last 
saw  New  York  lying  before  him,  "  and  she  will  be  the 
next  to  enter  the  building."  That  being  so,  you  must 
take  up  a  position  at  the  entrance  ;  she  will  not  be 
able  to  slip  past  you  there.  As  there  were  only  a 
gentleman  and  lady  sitting  at  the  table  in  closest 
proximity  to  the  door,  I  was  kind  enough  to  sit  down 
beside  them,  which  they  very  good-naturedly  permit^ 


A  Bad  Time-  91 


ted,  for,  as  I  shall  explain  in  a  minute,  I  provided  them 
with  some  protection  against  the  draught,  which  the 
porti&e  alone  was  insufficient  to  keep  off. 

"  How  touchingly  egoistical  they  both  are,"  I 
thought,  and  determined  to  favour  them  with  never  a 
word  ;  for  if  one  meddles  with  selfishness,  one  is  in- 
variably the  loser.  As  it  was  Wednesday,  and  they 
seemed  greatly  to  enjoy  the  broad  beans  and  bacon 
which  formed  one  item  of  the  bill  of  fare,  I  ordered 
a  portion  for  myself,  together  with  a  pint  of  ale,  and 
became  absorbed  in  the  enjoyment  of  this  nourishing 
dinner,  which  my  husband  also  appreciated  greatly  in 
former  times,  but  has  somewhat  neglected  of  late 
years  on  account  of  the  husks.  "What  may  he  be 
doing  now,  my  good  Carl  ?  is  he  enjoying  his  dinner 
without  my  presence  ? "  I  was  on  the  point  of  begin- 
ning a  train  of  thought  directed  homewards,  when 
suddenly,  with  the  rapidity  of  a  telegraph  wire, 
the  thought  flashed  through  me:*  "Can  Frau  Schulz 
perhaps  have  stormed  the  Landsberger-strasse  and  be 
cheerfully  making  her  revelations  there  while  I  am  sit- 
ting down  to  my  broad  beans  here  ?  " 

My  first  impulse  was  to  spring  from  my  place  and 
pursue  her,  but  reason  kept  me  in  my  seat ;  the  woman 
might  come  in  at  any  moment,  and  if  she  were  not  to 
find  me,  matters  would  be  just  as  critical  as  they  are 
now.  Of  what  avail  was  the  parsley  on  the  beans,  the 
well-fed  bacon,  the  foaming  beer  direct  from  the  bar- 
rel ?  The  last  meal  of  a  culprit  sentenced  to  death 
cannot  well  be  cooked  without  the  feeling, — in  half- 
an-hour  more  your  time  will  have  come.  I  consumed 
the  remainder  under  difficulties — but  then,  it  had  to 
be  paid  for  ! 

Whenever  the  door  opened  I  watched  it  like  a 
pointer,  but   nothing  appeared  which  could  be  e?c- 


92  Frau  Wilhelmtne. 

plained  into  Frau  Schulz  with  her  daughter.  Fat  and 
thin  people  came,  gentlemen  and  ladies,  old  and  young 
of  every  description  ;  the  entire  red  book  was  repre- 
sented, the  expected  one  alone  came  not. 

What  could  the  waiters  think  of  me,  peering  hither 
and  thither  without  rhyme  or  reason,  more  especially 
as  I  could  not  hide  behind  a  newspaper  owing  to  my 
watch  on  the  door?  In  sheer  despair  I  finished  my 
pint  and  ordered  another.  "  There,"  I  scoffed  furi- 
ously, "  the  downward  path  is  now  complete  !  Wil- 
helmine,  you  are  beginning  to  drink  now."  And  then 
I  wished  that  I  had  a  big,  big  newspaper  to  bury  my- 
self behind,  for  he  who  was  now  entering  the  restau- 
rant was  Uncle  Fritz.  This  was  the  only  thing  want- 
ing. 

"  Is  it  you  or  is  it  not  ? "  he  asked,  after  he  had  got 
over  his  first  surprise. — "  Certainly  !  "  I  answered 
testily  ;  "  it  is  I.  Do  you  object  ? " — "  Certainly  not ; 
but  how  do  you  come  into  this  part  of  the  world  ?  " — 
"  I  might  ask  you  the  same  question." — "  I  am  deliv- 
ering chandeliers  close  by,  and  have  to  superintend 
the  workmen.  If  a  stupid  servant-girl  with  two  left 
hands  drags  one  of  them  down  upon  herself  later,  the 
law  comes  upon  me  for  compensation.  Have  you  had 
a  quarrel  with  your  Carl,  or  are  you  travelling  beer 
on  your  own  account  ? " 

"  Neither  the  one  nor  the  other  !  "  I  burst  out  angrily. 
"  I  am  sitting  here  and  waiting  for  an  old  woman  from 
Zehlendorf." 

"You  are  expecting  some  one  from  Zehlendorf?" 
my  female  neighbour  suddenly  interrupted  our  con- 
versation. "Are  you,  perhaps,  Frau  Wilhelmine 
Buchholz,  of  the  Landsberger-strasse  ? " 

"Who  else  should  I  be?" 

"  I  am  Frau  Schulz,  of  Zehlendorf." 


A  Bad  Time.  93 


"  You  don't  say  so  !  "  I  screamed  at  her  ;  **  and  you 
only  come  out  with  it  now,  after  letting  me  sit  here 
like  a  fool,  in  the  most  deadly  fear  !  " 

"  In  fear  ?  And  on  my  account-  ? "  she  asked. — "  In 
case  you  might  have  got  mixed  up  among  the  car- 
riages," I  managed  to  say.  "Where  have  you  left 
your  daughter?" — "She  is  visiting  a  friend,  and  ought 
to  be  here  every  moment.  She  promised  me  faithfully 
to  be  punctual ;  it  is  impossible  for  her  to  be  long 
now.  But  young  girls  are  all  like  that,  are  they  not  ? 
They  have  so  much  to  tell  each  other  when  they  have, 
not  met  for  a  long  time,  although  I  impressed  upon 
her  :  *  Make  haste,  my  child  ;  Frau  Buchholz  is  sure 
to  be  pressed  for  time,  as  she  has  visitors  staying  with 
her.' " — "  Visitors  staying  with  you  ? "  asked  Uncle 
Fritz,  who  was  hesitating  as  to  whether  he  should  es- 
tablish himself  beside  this  idiot.  "  Who  is  staying 
with  you  ?  " — "  Our  aunt  from  Biitzow,"  I  said,  merely 
to  mention  some  name,  and  made  signs  that  he  was  to 
enter  into  my  subterfuge  ;  but  instead  of  helping  me 
out  of  my  dilemma,  he  played  the  innocent,  and 
laughed,  "  She  has  been  dead  a  long  time  ;  or  does  she 
walk  ? " 

"  Fritz,"  I  exclaimed,  boiling  over  with  rage,  "  can 
you  not  see  that  you  are  one  too  many  here  ?  "  and, 
turning  to  Frau  Schulz,  I  continued  :  "  One  of  my 
aunts  in  Biitzow  certainly  has  died  and  left  me  a  good 
deal.  But  this  aunt  about  whom  my  brother  seems  to 
know  nothing " 

"  Is  a  very  charming  woman,  with  seven  uneducated 
children  and  a  tame  parrot,"  Uncle  Fritz  interrupted 
my  remarks  ;  "  but  as  I  only  count  those  people  from 
whom  I  am  to  inherit  among  my  relations,  I  never 
thought  about  her.  I  must  say  good-bye  now."  He 
had  understood  me  and  retired. 


94  Frau   Withe Iminc. 

As  the  long  waiting  had  already  turned  my  good- 
humour  into  a  very  sour  one,  I  determined  to  dispose 
of  Frau  Schulz  in  the  shortest  possible  space  of  time, 
and  said,  "  I  cannot  wait  here  for  a  week.  So  you 
agree  to  the  understanding  that  your  daughter  is  not 
to  refuse  any  kind  of  work  ? " — "  Oh,  certainly,  cer- 
tainly !     Are  you  very  much  given  to  scouring?" 

"  It  depends  ;  for  many  things  may  be  ruined  by 
cleaning.     I  allow  no  misuse  of  water." 

"Quite  so.  I  say  just  the  same.  Edith  cannot 
btar  wet." 

"  Still,  your  daughter  Ida  will  have  to  encounter  it, 
in  order  to  learn  everything  thoroughly." 

"  If  matters  cannot  be  otherwise  arranged,"  she 
srghed.  "  The  principal  point  is  loving  treatment. 
She  has  a  wonderful  spirit  and  great  imagination.  She 
would  lay  down  her  life  for  theatricals." 

"We  have  no  theatricals  in  our  house." 

"  I  merely  mean  that  she  ought  to  have  an  occa- 
sional amusement  after  her  exertions.  Is  your  cookery 
nourishing  ?" 

"  It  is  homely  fare." 

"  Coarse  food  does  not  agree  with  my  daughter." 

"  My  friend,  homely  fare  is  quite  distinct  from  fare  for 
menials.  I  must  beg  of  you  to  understand  that.  But  it 
seems  that  your  Ida  has  a  vast  amount  of  pretension." 

"Ida?  You  call  her  Ida  always,  excuse  me;  but 
my  daughter's  name  is  Edith,  with  an  English  '  th ' 
and  the  E  pronounced  like  I." — "  Could  you  not  have 
found  a  name  that  was  still  more  absurd  ? "  I  asked. — 
"Is  it  not  exquisite  !"  she  exclaimed.  "Ah,  German 
names  are  all  so  common  !  " — "  My  dear  friend,"  I  an- 
swered, "  it  does  not  matter  what  one's  name  is,  so 
long  as  it  is  borne  with  honour,  and  has  pleasant  asso- 
ciations when  used  by  other  people.     But  pray  tran- 


K5^^t^-i-i?^5*^  -^':"'*''  ■  ■ 


A  Bad  Time.  95 


quillize  yourself.  I  will  manage  to  expel  these  foreign 
fads  from  your  Ida's  mind.  I  shall  certainly  not  dis- 
locate my  tongue  on  her  account,  not  even  if  she  had 
a  dozen  English  *  th's '  dangling  after  her.  So  now 
you  may  either  accept  or  refuse,  just  as  you  feel  dis- 
posed, and  take  your  sugar-plum  of  a  daughter  straight 
back  with  you.     I  don't  care  about  tropical  plants." 

"  Oh,  no,  dearest  Frau  Buchholz,"  she  turned  to  en- 
treaty now  ;  "  you  cannot  be  so  cruel !  Edith  has  her 
faults — I  acknowledge  that  freely — but  her  character 
is  so  sweet,  and  under  your  guidance  she  will  become 
quite  perfect.    You  keep  to  your  promise,  won't  you  ?  " 

"  On  condition  that  she  is  obedient  and  submissive." 

"  You  will  find  no  cause  for  complaint." 

"  I  w^ill  hope  so.  But  we  have  now  been  waiting  for 
over  an  hour.  There  must  be  an  end  of  it.  Where 
will  my  husband  imagine  that  I  have  got  to  ? " 

"  Put  all  the  blame  upon  me.  Surely  your  visitors 
can  do  without  you  for  a  short  time  !  " 

I  was  silent.  Just  before  I  had  virtuously  mounted 
my  high  horse  and  been  speaking  about  "bearing  with 
honour,"  and  my  visitor  dragged  me  suddenly  off  it. 
That  was  painful. — "  We  all  have  our  failings,"  I  said, 
**  and  should  therefore  not  look  for  perfection  in  our 
fellow-creatures.  If  your  Idiss  feels  confidence  in  me, 
we  will  be  sure  to  get  on  together.  But  there  is  one 
condition  I  must  make.  Idiss  must  be  truthful  and 
sincere.     I  cannot  bear  untruths." 

"  I  will  impress  that  especially  upon  her.  Of  course 
little  fibs  may  occur  now  and  then." — "  They  are  the 
worst,  believe  me  ;  they  can  embitter  one's  life.  Where 
is  your  husband  ? " — "  My  husband  ? " — "  Well,  the  gen- 
tleman who  was  sitting  beside  you." — "I  do  not  know 
him.  I  sat  down  at  this  table  to  make  sure  of  not  miss- 
ing you." 


"W^^^7' 


96  Frau   Wilhelntine. 

The  daughter  arrived  at  last — a  thin,  lank  creature, 
still  requiring  a  deal  of  nourishment,  before  she  would 
be  able  to  develop  a  proper  figure.  She  made  her  ex- 
cuses to  the  effect  that  while  with  her  friend  she  had 
never  given  a  thought  to  the  time,  and  that  she  was 
very  pleased  to  come  to  Berlin,  "What  splendid 
streets  there  are,"  she  said  enthusiastically,  "and  mag- 
nificent shops,  and  performances  at  Renz's  are  already 
announced  !     I  wish  I  were  going  to  stay  now." 

"  My  dear  child,"  I  answered,  "  amusements  are  the 
last  things  we  are  going  to  think  about.  It  is  not 
easy  to  learn  housekeeping  ;  so  much  practice  in  num- 
berless small  details  is  necessary  for  that  purpose, 
that  one  learns  at  last  to  be  nothing  but  practical. 
Then  only  does  one's  knowledge  begin  to  take  form. 
Do  you  feel  inclined  to  set  to  work  at  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  her  mother. 

The  daughter  seemed  to  agree  with  this  answer,  for 
she  nodded  her  head. 

"  My  time  has  come  to  an  end,"  I  said,  as  I  prepared 
to  take  my  leave.  "  You  will  be  told  when  I  can  re- 
ceive you,  but  it  will  not  be  just  at  present.  So  far, 
my  arrangements  have  not  been  made  for  it.  You 
must  wait  until  I  write." 

The  farewell  on  both  sides  was  a  satisfactory  one. 
"  I  shall  be  able  to  manage  her,"  I  thought,  and 
Frau  Schulz  said  :  "  Edith's  one  consideration  will  be 
how  she  can  please  you." 

But  what  Frau  Schulz's  idea  of  pleasing  a  person 
was  I  only  discovered  later.  Why  is  it  that  the  future 
is  closely  barred  against  our  gaze  ?  In  order  that  we 
should  not  see  the  vexation  awaiting  us  in  it. 

Betti  was  too  delighted  that  I  had  brought  her 
nothing  antique,  because  it  goes  out  of  fashior  so 
easily,  and  is  sure  to  have  the  worm  in  it — either  the 


A  Bad  Time.  97 


natural  article,  which  cheerily  bores  its  way  onward, 
or  the  artificial,  which  vendors  of  furniture  introduce 
into  it,  and  which  conduces  more  to  the  pleasure  of 
the  connoisseur  than  to  the  durability  of  the  article. 
Besides,  now  that  the  Louis  Quatorze  style  is  coming 
in,  one  must  be  more  than  careful,  if  one  wants  to 
keep  on  a  level  with  cultured  folk.  She  went  to  tell 
my  husband  that  I  had  returned,  and  he  put  in  an  ap- 
pearance at  once.  "  Have  you  convinced  yourself  that 
the  purchase  of  antiquities  has  its  yets  and  buts  ? "  he 
asked. — "  Carl,  there  was  nothing  there  of  a  really 
good,  durable  style."  — "Ay  !  "—"And  frightfully 
dear." — "  Oh  !  " — "  I  am  certain  we  could  buy  new 
things  to  greater  advantage." — "Ah!" — "Carl,  why 
are  you  so  monosyllabic  ?  " — "  You  have  been  out,  and 
have  more  to  talk  about  than  I,  as  it  seems  to  me." — 
A  crushing  presentiment  took  possession  of  me. 
Could  he  know  anything  about  it  ?  "  Has  Uncle  Fritz 
been  here  ?  "  I  asked. — "  No." — "  Anything  unpleas- 
ant occurred  in  business  ? " — "  No." — "  Is  anything  the 
matter  with  you?" — "  No.'" — "Carl,  why  are  you  like 
that  ? " — "  Wilhelmine,"  he  said  quietly,  "  the  auction 
took  place  last  week,"  and  put  the  newspaper  before 
me  in  which  I  had  read  the  advertisement.  I  was 
found  out  now,  and  by  such  a  trifle  too  !  It  really 
was  an  old  paper.  What  had  I  better  do  ?  "  Then," 
I  stammered,  "I  suppose  that  I  must  have  made  a 
mistake." — "  Let  us  hope  so." — "  Carl,"  I  wanted  to 
break  forth,  "  am  I  still  a  child  to  be  catechized  like 
this  ? "  but  at  the  moment  I  really  was  a  child,  and 
could  no  longer  control  myself.  "  Forgive  me  ;  for- 
give me  !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  I  won't  do  it  again  !  "  and 
flung  myself  on  him  and  hid  my  face  against  him. 

How  indulgent  he  was,  how  gently  he  spoke  to  me  ! 
So  I  began  my  confession  and  told  him  what  had 


-CF'Vf^  .»~.!j«TOBB» 


^^ 


98  I^rau   Wilhelmine. 

been  worrying  me  during  the  past  weeks,  and  how 
ashamed  I  had  felt  in  his  sight — a  shame  that  grew 
day  by  day — and  how  I  became  more  and  more  cow- 
ardly and  unable  to  confess  the  truth. 

"  Old  woman,"  he  said,  *'  have  you  learned  to  know 
me  so  little  during  all  these  years  that  you  are  still 
afraid  of  me,  of  your  husband,  who  loves  you  above 
everything  ? " 

"  It  is  because  you  love  me  that  I  was  silent.  Could 
I  help  believing  that  I  would  be  hateful  to  you,  re- 
membering all  the  deceit  in  which  I  had  involved  my- 
self ?  My  wish  to  prove  myself  in  the  right  is  to 
blame  for  it  all ;  I  wished  to  show  you  that  I  was  per- 
fectly able  to  be  consistent ;  but,  Carl,  one  can  get 
over  one's  nature.  I  was  so  sorry  for  Max,  and  then  I 
promised  him  to  take  his  fiancSe  in  here  without  hav- 
ing asked  you  first.  I  have  lost  my  wager,  and  I  give 
up  the  journey  willingly,  if  only  you  will  be  friends 
with  me  and  forgive  me.  What  is  building,  with  all 
its  upsets,  compared  with  the  torments  that  I  have 
been  enduring  recently?  It  was  my  conscience  that 
caused  me  to  suffer,  and  valerian  is  of  no  avail  against 
that." 

"  But  you  really  should  take  more  care  of  yourself, 
Wilhelmine,  or  else  your  asthma  will  get  bad.  Betti 
and  I  were  only  saying  to-day  that  you  ought  to  have 
some  help,  and  that  the  companionship  of  a  young  girl 
would  be  necessary  for  you  when  Betti  married." — 
"  Carl,  did  you  hit  on  this  idea  quite  by  yourself  ? " — 
"  The  idea  is  not  far  to  seek." — "  You  might  have  said 
something  about  it  sooner." — "  Would  I  have  dared 
to  ? "  laughed  my  Carl ;  "  did  you  not  expressly  assert 
that  you  did  not  intend  worrying  yourself  any  more 
about  anybody  ? " — '*  Carl,  don't  jeer  at  me  ;  I  cannot 
bear  it  now." 


A  Bad  Time.  99 


After  a  pause  he  began  again  :  "  It  would  be  advis- 
able to  get  the  girl  soon,  to  have  her  trained  by  the 
time  Betti  goes." 

"  Carl,"  I  answered  timidly,  "  there  are  two  '  helps  ' — 
Max's  fiancee,  and  another  one.  It  could  not  be  helped, 
my  Carl.  But  I  doubt  whether  you  will  be  able  to 
pronounce  her.  What  you  have  to  do  is  to  bite  a 
piece  off  your  tongue,  and  then  proceed  as  if  you 
wished  to  spit  it  out,  but  keep  it  notwithstanding  be- 
tween your  teeth.  She  writes  herself  down  English, 
and  is  called  Idiss  Schulz." — "  Idiss  is  good,"  said  my 
Carl. — "  Her  genealogical  tree  is  rooted  in  Zehlen- 
dorf." — "So  she  is  merely  Englishified  !  "  retorted  my 
husband.  "  That  will  have  an  end  some  time,  like  the 
horses'  tails." — "Carl,  my  ears  are  not  made  to  listen 
to  such  comparisons." — "  Wilhelmine,  you  must  take 
me  as  I  am  ;  I  expect  I  am  too  old  for  improvement. 
Besides,  I  think  neither  of  us  is  going  to  reproach  the 
other  ;  we  will  have  patience  with  one  another."  He 
gave  me  his  hand  ;  I  took  it  in  both  of  mine  and  car- 
ried it  to  my  cheek.  Now  I  had  my  support  again,  my 
Carl. 

I  felt  lighter  and  better  than  ever  I  had  done  before, 
as  if  burdens  and  threats  had  been  lifted  off  me  ;  a 
delicious  feeling,  soft  and  mild  as  the  breath  of  even- 
ing, surrounded  me.  Peace  returned  once  more  to  the 
heart  which  had  so  often  beaten  with  the  fright  of  not 
being  able  to  exist  in  my  husband's  sight.  Reproaches 
ceased,  fear  fled  away,  I  was  delivered  from  pain.  I 
should  like  to  have  embraced  the  whole  world,  and 
bell-like  voices  resounded  in  and  round  me,  "  Seid 
umschlungen  Millionen,"  just  as  I  had  once  heard  it 
sung  at  a  concert,  in  which  Niemann  took  part.  In 
those  days  I  thought  it  very  beautiful,  but  it  was  not 
until  now,   when  memory  recalled  it   to    me,  that  I 


lOO  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

understood  how  poets  and  musicians  have  sung  for  us 
dumb  children  of  humanity.  Now  it  resounded  again 
from  my  inmost  soul,  and  took  all  my  troubles  away 
with  it. 

When  Betti  came  in  to  announce  Uncle  Fritz,  I 
saw  everything  in  such  a  rose-coloured  light  that  I 
was  able  to  receive  him. 

"  Where  have  you  hidden  your  visitors  away  ? "  he 
exclaimed ;  "  I  should  like  to  make  the  acquaintance 
of  my  new  aunt.  You  can  tell  stories  well,  Wilhelmine  ; 
the  Zehlendorf  lady  was  quite  taken  in  by  you  ! " 

"  Fritz,  those  are  matters  tliat  do  not  concern  you. 
Is  it  not  so,  Carl  ?  " 

My  Carl  looked  roguishly  at  me  and  smiled.  Then 
he  said  to  Uncle  Fritz,  "  We  have  had  a  visitor  stay- 
ing here,  certainly,  but  she  left  half  an  hour  ago,  and 
never  intends  returning.  By  the  way,  I  can  give  you 
quite  the  latest  items  of  news  ;  my  wife  consents  to 
my  building,  and  we  are  going  to  have  two  assistants 
in  the  housekeeping." 

"Two?"  queried  Betti. 

"  For  the  one  to  finish  the  mischief  that  the  other 
would  not  be  able  to  get  through  alone !  "  remarked 
Uncle  Fritz. 

"  Yes,  if  they  were  anything  like  you.  But  it's  no 
use  your  trying  ;  if  you  want  to  vex  me,  you  must 
seek  out  another  day  for  the  purpose." 

I  went  off  with  Betti  to  have  an  undisturbed  chat 
over  the  arrangements  for  the  young  girls,  and  left 
the  two  men  to  themselves  ;  for  even  the  greatest 
patience  may  give  way,  if  a  person  drags  perpetually 
at  it.  And  unfortunately  Uncle  Fritz  is  greatly  given 
to  do  so. 


The  Pillars  of  the  House.  loi 


THE    PILLARS    OF    THE    HOUSE. 

Why  Frau  Schulz  departs  and  Wilhelmine  discourses  in  Chaldee — 
Why  there  is  to  be  no  quarrelling  and  Herr  Buchholz  is  threat- 
ened with  the  Day  of  Judgment — Why  handkerchiefs  are  to  be 
hemmed  and  the  piano  is  tormented — Why  it  is  difficult  to  please 
and  Doris  forgets  the  stove  cover — About  prose,  poetry,  and 
such-like  matters — Why  Wilhelmine  has  to  preach  and  my  Carl 
escapes  the  guillotine — My  Carl  a  member  of  the  corps  of  stu- 
dents and  Wilhelmine  in  the  arm-chair — Why  there  is  no  occa- 
sion for  dead  bodies  and  the  newest  fashion  gets  worn  out — 
Why  Frieda  changes  her  room. 

We  had  at  last  seen  the  last  of  Frau  Schulz  of 
Zehlendorf.  She  brought  her  Idiss  with  bag  and  bag- 
gage— including  three  bonnet-boxes — and  developed 
such  a  gift  of  narration  that  my  Carl  took  French 
leave  and  left  me  to  listen  to  the  remainder.  But 
when  my  heart  misgave  me  that  she  would  chatter 
away  till  she  missed  the  last  train,  I  said  simply, 
"  Frau  Schulz,  unless  you  hurry  you  will  have  to  spend 
the  night  in  Berlin.  It  will  be  well  for  you,  and  for 
us  too,  to  get  a  little  quiet.  We  cannot  hang  on  to 
each  other's  aprons  for  ever."  I  had  vowed  to  exercise 
the  strictest  candour,  and  was  not  at  all  disposed  to  be 
sparing  of  it  where  she  was  concerned.  Mankind 
must  have  what  it  wants ;  so  says  my  son-in-law,  the 
Doctor. 

"  It  is  so  hard  for  me  to  tear  myself  from  your 
home-like  abode,"  she  said  loudly  and  pointedly;  "  it 
is  so  comfortable  here  !  Ah,  one  is  conscious  at 
once  of  the  careful  superintending  spirit,  everything 
is  so  clean  and  well  arranged;  and  not  a  vestige  of  a 
spider's  web  anywhere  !  I  cannot  endure  spiders;  and 
as  for  mice,  really  I  cannot  describe  to  you  the  fright 
I  am  in  about  mice.     Is  that  not  so,  Idiss  ?    You  have 


I02  Fran   Wilhelmine. 

been  here  for  a  long  time  ?  I  can  imagine  it.  And  do 
you  like  living  here  ?  Of  course.  Would  you  like  to 
live  anywhere  but  in  Berlin  ?  Berlin  is  too  charming. 
Are  you  afraid  of  mice  too  ?  Ah,  no,  I  am  sure  that 
you  are  courageous  ! "  And  so  forth,  as  if  she  had 
been  wound  up. — "  If  you  take  a  fly,  you  will  just  be 
able  to  catch  it !  "  I  interposed  quickly,  as  she  caught 
her  breath  in  the  rapidity  of  her  utterance.  And  now 
she  prepared  for  the  journey  in  all  haste,  embraced 
her  Idiss  violently,  and  was  off. 

Betti  looked  at  me,  and  I  looked  at  Betti ;  it  was  a 
silent  Thank  Heaven,  in  order  not  to  let  Idiss  notice 
how  delighted  we  were  that  the  visit  had  come  to  an 
end.  I  do  not  know  the  equal  of  this  old  chatterbox 
in  wearisomeness. 

"And,"  upon  this  I  said  to  Idiss,  "  you  will  now  go 
up  to  your  room  and  settle  your  things  in  their  places. 
Hang  up  your  dresses  in  the  left-hand  side  of  the 
wardrobe — Fraulein  Frieda  will  be  using  the  other 
half  later — and  put  away  the  rest  of  your  things  in  the 
one  chest  of  drawers.  When  you  have  finished  doing 
that,  you  can  help  my  daughter  to  get  supper  ready. 
Generally  speaking  we  have  cold  things,  and  you  will 
undertake  the  tea  department." 

Idiss  made  a  face  as  if  I  had  been  talking  to  her  in 
Chaldee,  nor  did  she  move  from  the  spot. 

"  Well?" 

"  I  have  never  put  away  my  dresses  myself,"  she  said. 

"  Who  has  done  it,  then  ? " 

"  Mamma." 

"  Really  !  But  you  are  going  to  learn  to  look  after 
your  own  things.  However,  I  will  willingly  give  you 
a  little  help  to  start  with.     Come  with  me." 

So  I  went  off  and  up-stairs  with  her.  The  trunks 
were  already  awaiting  us  there. 


The  Pillars  of  the  House.  103 

"  Unlock  them."—"  I  do  not  know  the  keys."  Well, 
there  was  nothing  for  it  but  for  me  to  open  the 
trunks  ;  and  as  she  pretended  to  know  so  little  about 
it,  I  hung  up  all  her  dresses  in  the  wardrobe  as  well. 
In  this  way  I  certainly  find  out  what  she  has,  but  that 
is  not  much  of  an  advantage,  when  she  stands  looking 
on  with  folded  hands,  to  see  how  I  manage  as  lady's 
maid. 

"  Keep  your  things  nice  and  tidy,  for  there  is  noth- 
ing so  hurtful  as  creases,  and  putting  them  away  hig- 
gledy-piggledy. Now  we  will  go  down-stairs  again, 
and  my  daughter  will  show  you  what  your  duties  are 
in  the  kitchen."  I  thought  to  myself,  "  If  Betti  should 
give  her  a  shake-up,  it  will  do  her  no  harm — she  is  too 
pomady." 

When  we  sat  down  to  supper,  I  saw  by  Betti's  up- 
drawn  lip  that  something  had  gone  wrong  with  her, 
and  the  daughter  of  Frau  Schulz  of  Zehlendorf  looked 
a  good  deal  put  out.  An  infant  could  see  that  the  two 
had  had  a  squabble.  My  Carl,  who  probably  noticed 
something  of  the  same  kind,  took  his  supper  without 
giving  any  assistance  to  the  conversation,  and  seemed 
as  uncomfortable  as  if  his  coat  "were  too  tight  for  him, 
although  he  had  his  old  one  on.  Idiss  groaned  fre- 
quently, as  if  suffering  internal  martyrdom,  a  fact  that 
did  not  in  the  least  touch  Betti,  who  sat  there  like  a 
statue,  though  it  caused  my  husband  to  look  towards 
her  each  time  she  did  it,  whereby  Idiss's  sufferings 
were  only  increased. 

This  state  of  affairs  could  not  be  borne  for  long, 
and  so  I  said  jestingly,  "  Have  you  learned  a  little 
about  housekeeping  already,  Idiss  ?  " 

Instead  of  answering,  Betti  took  the  cream -jug  and 
placed  it  roughly  in  front  of  me.  The  spout  of  the 
jug  had  been  freshly  broken.     "  What  is  the  meaning 


1  '*. 


1 04  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

of  that  ?"  I  asked. — "A  specimen  of  Fraulein  Schulz's 
love  of  art,"  answered  Betti. — "Oh,  no,"  said  our 
guest ;  "  it  broke  off  of  itself  !  "— "  That  is  not  its 
usual  habit,"  Betti  retorted  shortly. — "  Then  the  cook 
must  have  done  it  !  "  exclaimed  Idiss. — "  You  had  bet- 
ter let  Doris  hear  you  say  that,"  answered  Betti  ;  "  she 
would  recall  you  to  a  sense  of  truth  pretty  sharply." 
— "  Children,"  I  placed  myself  in  the  breach,  "  let  us 
have  no  quarrels.  We  will  all  suppose  this  time  that 
the  jug  has  been  struck  by  lightning,  but  that  won't 
do  for  a  second  occasion." 

My  Carl  chose  to  go  to  his  district  club  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  we  soon  sent  Idiss  to  her  room.  When 
we  were  alone  Betti  said  :  "  Mamma,  I  have  never  met 
such  a  clumsy,  ill-trained  girl." — "That  is  the  reason 
we  have  her  here.  Be  patient,  Betti.  You  were  only 
able  to  work  yourself  into  housekeeping  by  degrees, 
but  then  you  certainly' had  not  a  Frau  Schulz  for  your 
mother.  Just  let  me  arrange  matters.  *  Helps '  must 
be  gently  dealt  with." 

My  hopes  for  improvement  were  not  particularly 
lofty,  but  things  went  worse  and  worse  during  the 
following  days  with  Idiss,  whose  favourite  occupation 
seemed  to  be  that  of  idling.  The  sudden  change 
might  possibly  account  for  that.  Until  quite  lately 
she  had  still  been  playing  with  her  dolls ;  and  now 
she  was  suddenly  called  upon  to  distinguish  between 
ginger  and  nutmeg,  naturally  she  stood  before  them 
and  wondered. 

Such,  generally,  is  what  I  imagine  the  scientific  ex- 
planation to  be  ;  for  if  a  young  thing  like  that  be 
suddenly  taken  from  its  home,  and  transplanted  to 
another  neighbourhood,  where  different  beds  and 
customs  obtain,  it  displays  its  general  human  dispo- 
sition, by  objecting  to  both  food  and  drink,  and  by 


The  Pillars  of  the  House.  105 

letting  home-sickness  peep  forth  from  eyes  red  with 
tears.  Does  not  a  newly-moved  plant  let  its  leaves 
droop  at  first,  until  it  begins  to  think  better  of  it  ? 
while  weeds,  on  the  other  hand,  do  not  mind  trans- 
planting, but  go  on  flourishing  wherever  they  may 
happen  to  be  thrown.  This  being  so,  it  was  not  very 
astonishing  that  Idiss  should  get  an  attack  of  senti- 
mentality, and  be  more  given  to  moaning  than  to  tak- 
ing her  breath  quietly,  although  it  ended  by  inspiring 
my  Carl  with  the  fear  that  her  lungs  were  full  of  bacilli, 
and  that  she  would  soon  have  to  take  to  her  bed.  "  We 
have  a  double  responsibility,"  he  said,  "  for  she  is  the 
child  of  strangers." — "  Carl,"  I  answered,  "  it  is  the 
new  and  the  unaccustomed  which  causes  her  moans. 
As  soon  as  she  feels  more  at  home,  she  will  become 
tired  of  her  grief.  Besides,  you  see,  she  has  affections. 
A  bustling  girl  who  has  no  heart  and  is  always  hanker- 
ing after  change,  would  sing  and  hop  about  in  her  new 
position  like  a  water- wagtail ;  but  this  one  moves  about 
in  tender  melancholy  over  what  she  has  lost.  We  may 
feel  very  thankful  that  we  have  not  got  a  flibberty- 
jibbet." 

"  I  should  like  her  to  be  more  lively,  and  not  given 
to  search  for  things  on  the  floor  when  one  looks  at  her," 
said  my  husband. 

"  Carl,"  I  took  him  to  task  severely  for  this  remark, 
"  in  the  first  place,  it  is  not  praiseworthy  to  make  the 
fitting  timidity  of  young  girls  a  reproach  to  them  ; 
and  in  the  second,  it  is  unbecoming  of  you  to  let  your 
glance  follow  them  secretly.  Once  for  all,  I  forbid 
you  doing  that.  Remember,  these  are  children  of 
strange  parents,  for  whose  reputation  we  are  just  as 
responsible  as  for  their  bodily  well-being.  Carl,  how 
will  you  be  able  to  stand  at  the  Day  of  Judgment  if 
you  look  at  them  with  other  eyes  than  those  of  a  fos- 


lo6  Frau    Wilhelmine. 

ter-father  ? — to  say  nothing  of  the  fact  that  I  am  on 
the  patrol,  so  to  speak,  day  and  night !  " 

"  Wilhelmine,  do  me  the  kindness  to  shut  up  ;  you 
have  gone  off  on  a  wrong  tack.  You  have  taken  a 
burden  on  yourself  which  I  may  be  good  enough  to 
help  you  to  carry.  I  don't  like  Ida  from  any  point  of 
view." — "  Carl,  Idiss  ;  you  must  practise  the  proper 
movement  of  the  tongue." — "  Oh,  bother  !  Ida  or 
Idiss,  she  is  odious  to  me." — "  That  is  because  you  are 
wanting  in  knowledge  of  humanity.  Young  girls  have 
to  thaw.  When  I  have  once  got  her  beyond  the  feeble 
stage,  so  that  she  will  be  able  to  bear  a  knock,  I  shall 
set  about  drilling  her." 

"Let  us  hope  for  the  best,"  he  answered.  "You 
would  do  me  an  especial  favour  if  you  would  give  her 
to  understand  that  I  find  her  lachrymose  whining  un- 
bearable." 

"  It  shall  be  done,  my  Carl." 

"  And  don't  forget  to  oil  the  doors  ;  they  squeak  just 
like  your  '  help.'  " 

After  this  I  took  advantage  of  the  very  first  oppor- 
tunity, and  said  :  "  Fraulein  Schulz,  what  is  really  the 
matter  with  you  ?  If  you  have  any  kind  of  weight 
lying  on  your  m.ind,  out  with  it ;  you  may  safely  con- 
fide everything  to  me  that  troubles  you." — "Ah,  Frau 
Buchholz,  the  parting  from  home  !  "  she  stammered. — 
"  My  dear  child,  people  cannot  be  tied  to  their  mother's 
apron-strings  till  they  reach  the  grave  ;  they  must 
leave  her  some  time,  and  learn  to  walk  alone.  Why 
do  you  keep  moaning  so  dreadfully  ? "  She  did  not 
answer.  "  Set  to  work  ;  that  will  drive  away  your 
vagaries.  Your  mother  wishes  that  you  should  sew  as 
much  as  possible  for  yourself,  also  knit  and  embroider  ; 
that  is  the  reason  that  you  have  only  been  provided 
with  the  most  necessary  things  to  start  with.     Have 


The  Pillars  of  the  House.  107 

you  hemmed   the  handkerchiefs  already  ? " — "  I  am 

just  doing  them,  but " — "But?" — "My  eyes  suffer 

from  working  so  much." — "  Oh,  that  is  very  sad  !  " — 
"  Yes,  I  am  very  unhappy  about  it."—"  Is  there  nothing 
you  can  do  to  dissipate  your  sorrow  ?  " — "  When  I  was 
at  home,  I  used  to  sit  down  to  the  piano  and  breathe 
forth  my  grief  in  music.  I  do  not  know  whether  I 
might  venture  to  do  so  here  ;  I  dare  say  Fraulein 
Betti  would  not  allow  me." — "  Nonsense  !  The  piano 
is  in  the  drawing-room,  but  it  has  not  been  tuned  for 
a  long  time  ;  perhaps  that  will  make  it  all  the  more 
suitable  to  your  sorrow.  Breathe  away  as  much  as 
you  like,  only  you  must  not  scratch  the  floor — we  have 
just  had  it  polished." — "Thank  you,"  she  said,  and 
went. 

I  did  feel  to  some  extent  curious  as  to  how  she  would 
soothe  her  sorrow,  and  so  I  listened  to  her  playing 
behind  the  door.  And  what  did  it  amount  to  ?  That 
lovely  song, 

"  Mutter,  der  Mann  mit  den  Koks  ist  da  ! "  * 

And  she  did  not  even  play  it  properly,  but  stumbled 
over  it,  and  played  wrong  notes,  with  both  feet  on  the 
pedal !  It  was  a  mercy  that  my  Carl  did  not  hear  this 
kind  of  chamber  music. 

After  I  had  gone  off  with  manifold  headshakings,  I 
felt  anxious  to  see  what  she  had  done  in  the  way  of 
hemming  her  handkerchiefs,  and  felt  it  to  be  my  duty 
to  investigate  the  contents  of  her  work-basket.  Its 
aspect  was — indescribable  !  Everything  was  muddled 
up  together,  and  about  sixty  stitches  had  been  badly 
put  into  one  handkerchief.  That  to  give  her  cataract 
indeed  ! 

*  "  Mother,  the  man  with  the  coals  is  there  ! "     A  Berlin  street 
song. — Trans. 


lo8  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

It  was  my  turn  to  groan  now.  The  thought  flashed 
through  me,  "She  is  untruthful.  Wilhelmine,  you  have 
been  thoroughly  taken  in  by  her.  She  repudiated  the 
cream-jug  the  very  first  evening." 

Horrible  !  How  are  people  in  the  same  house  to 
get  on  together,  if  one  cannot  put  faith  in  the  words 
of  the  other  ?  And  what  mental  tares  one  sows,  when 
fresh  deceptions  have  constantly  to  be  thought  out, 
an  old  untruth  to  be  hidden  behind  a  new  one  !  Un- 
der such  circumstances,  suspicion  effects  a  lodgment, 
people  think  badly  of  those  who  do  not  deserve  it,  the 
cheerfulness  of  one's  disposition  is  lost,  and  life  here 
below  becomes  gloomy,  because  everything  seems  to 
be  as  untrue  as  one's  inner  life.  Period  of  childhood, 
why  is  it  that  you  are  so  full  of  sunshine  ?  Because 
the  young  soul  is  without  guile. 

I  am  no  connoisseur,  but  still  I  do  know  enough 
about  music  to  feel  sure  that  her  home-sickness  and 
the  newest  street-song  were  just  as  closely  connected 
as  the  name  Idiss  was  with  her  appearance,  and  that 
she  just  used  the  piano  as  a  kind  of  finger-rest  to 
muddle  away  her  time.  But  is  not  a  girl  almost  bound 
to  be  deceitful,  when  her  parents  overload  her  with  a 
foreign  name,  whereupon  she  imagines  that  she  is  half 
a  foreigner,  and  rather  grander  than  other  people, 
though  there  is  not  a  photograph  of  her  in  the  world 
that  could  have  the  Schulz  profile  touched  out  of  it  ? 

It  was  my  duty  to  call  her  to  account.  I  went  to 
her  and  said  :  "  Pray,  Ida,  do  not  torment  the  man 
with  the  coals  any  longer.  He  is  too  heavy  for  our 
piano.  If  you  really  wish  to  practise,  we  will  set  apart 
a  certain  hour  for  you  to  do  so." — "Oh,  no,  that  would 
try  me  too  much  !  Mamma  always  says  that  the  piano 
should  be  a  recreation." — "She  is  quite  right,  espe- 
cially for  the  drums  of  the  ears  of  the  surroundings. 


The  Pillars  of  the  House.  109, 

Just  bring  your  work  and  come  and  sit  with  me  ;  we 
.  are  not  given  to  dawdling  here." 

While  I  looked  through  the  linen  that  had  come 
from  the  laundress,  she  did  her  hemming.  We  had  a 
good  deal  of  conversation,  and  I  discovered  by  this 
means  that  so  far  she  had  only  done  what  she  chose, 
and  what  she  chose  was  to  do  nothing.  Even  her  shoes 
and  stockings  were  put  on  by  her  mother.  Papa  had 
certainly  often  scolded,  but  then  it  had  been  easy  to 
impose  upon  him. — "  And  papa  allowed  that  ?  " — "  Oh, 
.  he  had  to,  for  mamma  had  the  money."  She  suddenly 
came  to  a  pause. — "Has  she  any  now?" — "I  think 
that  she  lost  some  ;  we  were  obliged  to  reduce  our  ex- 
penditure. That  was  horrid.  It  was  not  nearly  so 
nice  as  formerly.     Mamma  was  often  very  cross." 

"  It  is  a  delightful  thing  to  look  on  at  extravagance, 
but  vexatious  when  one  comes  to  think  over  it  later. 
Not  only  does  it  open  the  door  to  poverty,  but  quar- 
relling and  strife  follow  in  its  steps.  Many  people  think 
that  their  candles  must  be  six  to  the  pound  to  enable 
them  to  find  their  way  to  bed ;  we  use  ten  to  the 
pound,  and  nobody  has  broken  a  leg  here  yet.  The 
pound  costs  the  same,  but  lasts  longer.  Pay  attention 
to  this,  Ida  :  one  can  keep  house  with  plenty  of  money, 
and  one  can  manage  on  a  little  too." 

"  Mamma  says  that  it  is  all  the  same  so  long  as  one 
is  pleasing." 

"  To  be  pleasing  is  a  difficult  matter,  child." 

"  Yes,  if  one  cannot  be  in  the  fashion.  Formerly  I 
was  always  having  new  hats." 

"It  does  not  depend  so  much  upon  the  hat  as  ."i 
the  face  that  is  below  it.  If  a  person  looks  as  if  she 
were  in  her  own  way,  others  gladly  turn  aside  from 
her.  An  open,  frank  expression,  a  pleasant  mouth, 
are  more  winning  than  the  most  fashionable  toilettes, 


no  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

but  her  spirit  must  be  imbued  with  sincerity  and  amia- 
bility. Nor  should  tidiness  be  forgotten.  The  tie  of 
your  shoe  is  undone,  Ida  ;  a  girl  that  does  not  respect 
herself  will  pay  no  attention  to  the  trifling  duties  she 
owes  her  neighbours,  and  it  is  those  which  make  life 
pleasant  or  the  reverse.  Settle  that  first,  and  then  it 
will  be  time  for  you  to  go  to  the  kitchen.  Our  clocks 
are  not  regulated  according  to  the  soup  ;  they  take 
the  time  from  my  husband,  and  he  is  punctual.  And 
another  thing,  Ida  ;  do  not  damage  the  plates  and 
dishes  so  much." 

"  This  has  been  a  lesson  in  morals  as  well  as  work," 
I  said  when  I  was  alone,  and  felt  astonished  with  my- 
self. My  two  girls  would  have  been  taken  to  task 
more  roundly,  but  then  they  were  my  own. 

I  must  admit  that  nothing  came  of  the  admonitions 
which  I  certainly  supposed  were  soon  to  bear  fruit, 
for  a  dreadful  noise  was  soon  heard  from  the  kitchen, 
the  cause  of  which  I  had  to  inquire  into.  What  I 
found  was  Betti  and  Ida  engaged  in  hot  dispute.  Ida 
screamed  that  she  was  not  going  to  let  herself  be  put 
upon,  while  Betti  was  inveighing  against  her  and  say- 
ing that  nothing  could  be  done  with  such  an  idiot ; 
one's  life  was  not  safe  with  her.  In  addition  to  this, 
the  whole  kitchen  was  strewed  with  rice  and  swim- 
ming in  water.  Betti  was  so  soaked  from  top  to  toe 
that  the  water  was  trickling  from  her,  and  her  hair  too 
was  ornamented  with  grains  of  rice.—"  Holy  Brah- 
ma ! "  I  exclaimed,  "  what  is  the  meaning  of  this  ? 
Here  is  a  pretty  state  of  things  ! " 

"I  gave  her  the  rice  to  wash,"  Betti  explained  ex- 
citedly, "and  Fraulein  Schulz  was  silly  enough  to  put 
it  under  the  cistern  and  turn  on  the  tap  so  that  the 
whole  of  it  flew  out  of  the  dish  with  the  splash  ;  and 
now  that  I  tell  her  she  must  clean  it  up,  she  won't." 


'  The  Pillars  of  the  House.  1 1 1 

"  Never  did  I  see  the  like  of  that  before,"  said 
Doris,  who  stood  there  petrified,  and  forgot  in  her 
astonishment  to  put  on  the  stove-plate,  which  she 
was  holding  with  the  tongs,  so  that  the  smoke  af- 
fected my  vocal  chords,  and  asthma,  with  cramp,  and 
unavailing  gasps  for  breath  ensued. — "  Afterwards,"  I 
gasped,  "  Doris  will  clean  up.  Ida,  you  are  to  come 
with  me." 

It  was  long  before  I  recovered  even  partially.  My 
long  conversation,  the  vexation,  and  the  smoke,  had 
combined  in  very  unfavourable  effects.*  The  result 
arrived  at  after  careful  consideration  at  last  was  : 
"  Ida,  for  the  present  you  will  keep  out  of  the  kitchen, 
and  as  a  beginning  you  will  only  concern  yourself 
with  the  coffee,  and  the  tea  with  the  cold  supper;  you 
will  be,  so  to  speak,  the  cold  mistress.  You  are  not 
to  meddle  with  cooking  for  the  present." 

"  I  could  not  help  it,"  she  answered  ;  "  the  rice  did 
it  of  its  own  accord." — "  Extraordinary  rice  !  " — "  But 
it  really  did." 

"  Fraulein  Schulz,  I  do  not  approve  of  unseasonable 
contradiction  ;  and  besides,  you  are  to  do  as  you  are 
bid  without  opposition.  You  have  not  yet  tied  your 
shoe."—"  Yes,  I  have."—"  It  is  not  tied."—"  Then  it 
must  be  the  other  one  that  has  come  undone." — "  No, 
it  is  the  same  one,  and  is  just  as  slatternly  as  before, 
when  I  drew  your  attention  to  it." — "  Really  ?  " — "  Yes, 
certainly.  And  when  I  tell  you  anything  another  time, 
you  will  be  good  enough  not  to  sit  on  your  ears  to 
impede  your  better  hearing.  Fraulein  Schulz,  either 
you  must  change  tremendously  or  we  must  part.  I 
have  not  the  remotest  intention  of  worrying  myself 
into  the  tomb  on  your  account." 

One  ought  not  to  fling  away  one's  weapons  at  once 
even  when  met  by  opposition.     What  trouble  and  dif- 


112  Frail   Wilhelmine. 

ficulty  I  had  with  Betti,  who  now  attends  to  the  house- 
keeping in  a  most  experienced  manner,  and  deserves 
great  praise  !  Of  course  she  looks  forward  to  her  own 
house,  and  is  as  unwearied  at  her  work  as  if  she  were 
already  responsible  to  her  dear  ones  for  everything, 
although  of  course  they  can  only  make  claims  upon 
her  after  the  wedding.  Expectation  is  a  powerful  in- 
centive. People  break  their  necks  gladly  along  steep 
mountain-walls  in  expectation  of  a  beautiful  view,  a 
thing  that  they  certainly  would  not  do  for  money. 
How  peopleiian  overwork  themselves  without  getting 
faint  when  a  dress  has  to  be  provided  for  an  unex- 
pected ball ;  how  carefully  the  visitor's  room  is  pre- 
pared for  a  guest  ;  and  how  his  coming  is  listened  for 
for  hours,  although  it  is  impossible  for  him  to  arrive 
so  soon  !  And  yet,  what  is  the  most  incomparable 
panorama  from  the  highest  summit,  when  compared 
with  the  breadth  of  life  that  expands  with  so  much 
promise  before  the  eyes  of  a  bride  ?  what  are  the  most 
intoxicating  waltzes  when  compared  with  those  strains 
of  gladness  which,  after  the  first  kiss,  are  wafted  to- 
wards us  out  of  the  happiness  to  come  ?  what  is  the 
visitor's  room  compared  with  one's  home,  where  care- 
ful hands  will  surround  the  beloved  one  with  perfect 
and  complete  comfort  ? 

I  admit  that  many  turn  up  their  noses  at  the  bare 
mention  of  such  words  as  housekeeping,  domestic 
economy,  the  kitchen,  knitting  and  the  like,  and  ask 
with  fine  contempt  :  "Where  does  the  poetry  come 
in?" — "My  good  friend,"  I  suggest  to  such  a  one, 
"flowers  must  be  cherished  if  they  are  to  blossom  ; 
their  roots  need  earth  and  moisture;  obnoxious  plants 
must  be  weeded  out  to  preserve  them  from  suffocation; 
and  they  only  open  out  in  the  sunlight.  Domestic 
comfort  is  the  soil  whence  spring  those  hours  during 


J 


The  Pillars  of  the  House.  113 

which  one's  thoughts  may  wander  towards  the  beau- 
tiful, rather  than  the  commonplace,  and  wonder  what 
happiness  looks  like,  how  it  could  be  represented,  and 
the  like,  and  during  which  we  feel  with  those  who 
were  the  beloved  of  song.  Such  times  are  at  once 
hours  of  idleness  and  of  delight,  powers  on  our  life's 
path,  no  made-u^  rubbish  of  material  and  wire,  with- 
out odour  and  without  refreshment.  My  best  of 
friends,  you  cannot  wipe  away  dust  with  your  Goethe, 
and  Nathan  the  Wise  himself  will  be  unable  to  help 
you  when  the  dinner  has  been  spoilt.  And  yet  another 
thing,  my  dear ;  time  is  wasted  in  discussions  about 
poetry,  during  which  you  might  have  been  doing 
something  useful,  such  as  making  your  husband's  life 
pleasant  to  him." — "  To  pine  away  in  domesticity  as 
cook  and  laundress  is  not  compatible  with  our  dignity 
as  human  beings,"  suggests  another,  "  and  I  am  too 
well  educated  for  mending  and  darning";  to  which  I 
answer :  "  One  can  never  have  enough  education,  as 
it  consumes  nothing ;  but  it  is  possible  to  have  too 
much.  Moderation  in  everything,  my  good  friend.  If 
a  person  murders  the  hours  of  mental  enjoyment  with 
a  scrubbing-brush  or  drowns  them  in  soap  and  water, 
she  does  just  as  wrongly  as  one  who  neglects  the 
practical  aspects  of  life,  because  it  seems  prosaic  to 
her  to  put  her  hands  valiantly  to  work.  But  very  fre- 
quently, most  honoured  lady,  it  is  idleness  pure  and 
simple  which  lurks  behind  an  idea  like  that.  Negli- 
gence is  not  poetry,  not  at  least  for  the  relations,  who 
prefer  a  pleasant  hotel  to  uncomfortable  domestic  life. 
Then  comes  dissatisfaction,  for  life  does  not  accom- 
modate itself  to  novels  and  lectures  on  culture  ;  and 
when  later  the  nerves  of  the  tender  soul  get  unstrung 
like  the  strings  of  a  cracked  guitar,  she  complains  in 
addition  of  being  misjudged  and  misunderstood      If 


1 14  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

that  be  not  the  result,  my  friend,  I  shall  be  very 
pleased,  for  your  sake." 

Ida  had  not  a  glimmering  of  such-like  things,  but 
Frieda  was  a  bride-elect,  so  she  had  reasons  sufficient 
for  arriving  at  a  proper  understanding  ;  still  she 
seemed  wanting  in  real  liking  for  all  that  she  did. 

About  a  week  after  Ida  had  become  our  household 
companion,  she  too  joined  us,  in  order  that  she  might 
share  the  same  room  and  the  same  wardrobe  with  the 
former.  Of  course  the  first  bickering  was  caused  by 
this  unfortunate  piece  of  furniture,  as  it  was  only  pro- 
vided with  one  key,  which  Ida  had  invariably  mislaid 
or  hidden  away  in  her  pocket  when  Frieda  wanted  it. 
When,  later  on,  it  was  confided  to  Frieda's  care,  she 
would  not  produce  it  if  Ida  required  it.  At  last,  for 
peace'  sake,  Betti  broke  the  lock  with  the  kitchen 
chopper — my  beautiful  wardrobe  ! 

Besides  this,  Fraulein  Schulz  insisted  that  Frieda 
was  to  call  her  Idiss,  although  every  one  of  us  had  re- 
christened  her  Ida,  to  try  and  break  her  of  her  affecta- 
tion, upon  which  Frieda  retorted  :  "  I  suppose  Idiss  is 
a  dog's  name  ? "  The  consequence  of  this  was,  extra- 
ordinary to  relate,  not  a  pitched  battle,  but  a  mutual 
sending  to  Coventry,  which  certainly  was  noticeable 
to  my  husband,  but  did  not  cause  him  further  trouble. 
But  so  far  as  Betti  and  I  were  concerned,  we  lived  in 
perpetual  fear  that  some  fine  morning  we  should  find 
the  one  in  her  bed  strangled  by  the  other,  and  I  made 
the  suggestion  that  Betti  should  share  the  room  with 
Idiss.  However,  she  only  said,  "  Mamma  !  "  There 
was  nothing  left  but  to  get  hold  of  Frieda  and  speak 
seriously  to  her.  "  Betti,"  I  said,  "  I  wish  I  had  learned 
to  preach  a  sermon  twice  a  day  ;  I  should  find  it  easier 
work." 

The  opportunity  for  calling  her  to  me  alone,  was  a 


The  Pillars  of  the  House.  115 

splendid  one,  viewed  as  such,  though  otherwise  it  was 
rather  unsatisfactory. 

It  might  have  been  about  seven  o'clock  one  morning 
when  Ida  came  flinging  into  my  room  without  knock- 
ing, like  a  young  fury,  with  her  hair  down  and  in 
most  absolute  night  costume,  and  screamed  :  "  She  is 
teasing  me  ;   she  is  teasing  me  !     I  won't  stand  it !  " 

My  Carl,  who  was  just  shaving  in  the  adjoining  bed- 
room, had  nothing  better  to  do  than  to  cut  himself  in 
his  fright,  and  he  rushed  in  before  I  could  close  the 
door,  as  he  was  as  little  a  sight  for  her  as  she  was  for 
him.  I  had  forbidden  both  my  "helps  "  to  appear  in 
any  sort  of  half -dressed  condition,  as  that  is  the  broad 
path  leading  to  untidiness,  and  now  she  showed  her- 
self in  this  guise.  "  Carl,"  I  said,  "  you  look  as  if  you 
were  fresh  from  the  guillotine,  and  the  least  that  you 
might  have  thrown  over  you  would  have  been  your 
dressing-gown.  As  for  you,  Fraulein  Schulz,  what  is 
the  matter  with  you  ?  It  is  your  week  ;  why  are  you 
not  dressed  yet  ?  Who  is  attending  to  the  coffee  ?  " — 
"Fraulein  Frieda  won't  let  me  look  in  the  glass,"  she 
complained.  "She  has  been  standing  before  it  for 
half-an-hour,  simply  to  prevent  me  dressing  myself, 
and  to  ensure  my  being  scolded  because  the  coffee  is 
not  ready." — "I  suppose  you  have  not  been  able  to 
drag  yourself  out  of  bed  again  !  " — "  Yes,  I  have  !  " — 
"  I  shall  ask  Frieda." — "  Ask  her  ?  Surely  you  don't 
believe  her?  Why,  she  does  not  speak  one  word  of 
truth  !  " — "  Fraulein  Schulz,  you  had  better  not  see  a 
beam  in  other  people's  eyes,  when  you  have  a  perfect 
timber-yard  of  them  in  your  own.  See  to  it  that  you 
go  up -stairs  and  dress  yourself.  I  will  speak  to  Frieda." 
— "  She  will  tell  you  a  lot  of  stories." — "  Go  away  !  " 

This  conversation  had  passed  as  rapidly  as  an  ex- 
press train,  but  it  furnished  me  with  enough  "  help  " 


1 16  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

annoyance  for  the  whole  day,  and  on  the  far  side  of 
yonder  threshold  was  my  Carl,  the  bloody  sacrifice  of 
that  excitable  person. 

In  I  went  to  him.  The  towel  was  quite  red  already. 
"  Carl,  surely  it  is  not  an  artery  ? " — He  did  not  an- 
swer.— "Why  do  you  not  speak  to  me,  Carl?" — "I 
wish  the  devil  would  fly  away  with  the  'helps,'"  he 
thundered  ;  "  it  is  a  breed  that's  enough  to  drive  a 
man  mad  !  In  the  evening  they  sit  and  sulk  till  they 
turn  the  butter  on  one's  bread  rancid,  and  in  the 
morning  one  nearly  cuts  one's  throat  for  their  sake  ! 
I  shall  live  out." — "Carl,  that  would  give  rise  to  scan- 
dal."— "  To  more  scandal  than  there  is  here  ?  I  really 
shall  go  to  the  hotel  till  they  have  been  cleared  out  of 
this.     And  there's  an  end  to  it." 

My  husband  had  not  been  as  furious  as  this  for  a 
long  time  ;  indeed,  I  do  not  think  he  ever  had  been, 
so  far  as  I  could  remember.  That  upset  me.  "Do 
not  be  over-hasty,  my  Carl,"  I  endeavoured  to  pacify 
him.  "  You  don't  usually  burst  out  like  this  ;  why 
have  you  done  so  to-day  ?  Let  us  put  some  sticking- 
plaster  on  it ;  it  is  so  comforting,  and  will  be  sure  to 
do  you  good,  my  Carl.  You  were  anxious  yourself 
that  I  should  have  assistance  ;  now  you  must  be  pa- 
tient as  well.  I  exercise  indulgence  myself  whenever 
I  possibly  can,  and  as  soon  as  they  have  made  some 
progress,  they  will  provide  us  with  a  good  deal  of 
comfort,  when  my  sufferings  get  worse,  or  they  will 
thread  needles — I  have  begun  to  think  of  spectacles 
when  doing  fine  work,  my  Carl, — or  they  will  pick 
up  stitches.  And  there  is  one  thing  you  cannot  deny, 
since  the  young  girls  have  been  here  there  has  been 
.much  more  life  in  the  house." 

"  Oh,  yes  ;  there  has  been  life  enough  to  drive  one 
out  of  it  !  " 


The  Pillars  of  the  House.  117 

"  Carl,  it  only  seems  so  to  you  ;  you  must  not  begin 
to  exaggerate.  And  why  do  you  shave  yourself  ?  Doc- 
tor Wrenzchen  has  arranged  for  the  barber  to  come 
in  every  morning  ;  if  he  can  afford  it,  it  is  seemly  that 
you  should  have  him  too  ;  and  besides,  it  is  the  proper 
thing  to  do.  Your  reputation  will  certainly  not  be  in- 
jured by  considering  the  outside  world  a  little  more." 

"  There  would  be  still  less  harm  in  your  considering 
your  husband  a  little  more." 

"  Carl,  do  you  wish  to  quarrel  ?  " 

"  I  wish  for  air.  I  wish  for  peace.  I  wish  to  have 
my  former  comfort." 

"  And  so  you  shall,  my  Carl.  Just  say  straight  out 
that  I  am  indifferent  to  you.  Why  am  I  getting  old 
and  worn  out>  and  why  is  help  of  such  necessity  to 
me?"  • 

"Wilhelmine,  you  surely  don*t  want  to  pretend  to 
me  that  the  nuisance  which  you  laid  upon  yourself  is 
an  assistance  ?    They  are  not  a  bit  like  *  helps.'    What 
is  the  reason,  do  you  think  ?     Because  you  don't  un 
derstand  taking  the  two  of  them  the  right  way." 

"  Carl,  I  don't  suppose  that  you  have  had  the  slight- 
est experience  of  *  helps.'  But  if  you  really  think  it 
wise,  I  will  give  them  such  a  punishment  as  they 
never  had  before." 

"  Don't  be  too  violent,  Wilhelmine." 

"  Carl,  young  girls  have  elastic  natures.  Just  ask 
them  till  what  hour  of  the  morning  they  could  dance  ? 
It  is  impossible  to  harm  them,  I  can  tell  you.  They 
to  worry  you  !  They  shall  have  a  taste  of  what  I  am 
like." 

Meanwhile,  he  had  finished  dressing,  brushing,  and 
settling  himself  ;  and  when  men  are  once  brushed  up, 
and  the  set  of  their  cravat  perfect,  they  adopt  gentler 
manners.     The  wound  had  been  doctored  with  a  strip 


Ii8  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

of  black  plaster,  so  that  I  could  not  help  expressing 
myself  to  the  effect :  "  Now,  Carl,  you  might  pose  as 
a  student  of  one  of  the  corps  ;  the  gaudy  cap  is  all 
that  is  wanting.  We  will  breakfast  alone  together, 
without  the  stumbling-blocks." 

Well,  I  had  got  him  fairly  satisfied,  and  all  would 
have  gone  well,  had  the  coffee  only  been  drinkable  ; 
but  it  looked  so  attenuated  when  I  was  pouring  it  out, 
that  I  wanted  to  have  it  taken  away  at  once.  '*  Don't 
trouble,"  said  my  husband  ;  ''  I  must  go  to  the  office 
directly," — as  if  I  had  defrauded  him  of  time  to  sit 
down.  He  had  scarcely  tasted  it,  however,  before  he 
exclaimed  :  "  Ugh  !  "  and  pushed  aside  his  cup  in  dis- 
gust. "  That  is  simple  slops  !  " — "  It  is  clean-tasted, 
but  a  little  weak." — "  It's  too  bad  to  be  given  to  an  old 
cow  !  " — *'  Carl,  you  forget  yourself  !  " — "  I  won't  hear 
anything  more  about  it.  If  I  am  asked  for  I  shall  be 
found  in  the  '  Prelate,'  and  I  invite  the  inquirer  to  join 
me  there  in  a  pint  of  beer." — "  You  are  surely  coming 
home  to  dinner  ? " — He  was  gone. 

"  Well,  this  has  been  a  nice  piece  of  work  !  "  was  my 
first  thought ;  my  second,  "  What  am  I  to  do  now  ? " 

Should  I  send  to  the  Parcels  Delivery  Company,  and 
have  the  two  girls  prepaid  to  their  parental  homes  ? 
That  would  mean  eating  humble-pie,  and  confessing 
that  they  had  conquered  me.  Frau  Schulz  would  be 
rushing  everywhere  open-mouthed,  and  Frau  Krause 
trotting  about  with  her  cutting  remarks  :  "  Of  course 
it  did  not  do  !  Just  as  we  all  expected." — I  could  hear 
their  gossip  already,  and  the  principal  person,  Max, 
would  be  just  as  badly  off  as  before.  I  never  have 
bothered  myself  much  about  women,  but  to  explain  to 
the  kindly  young  fellow,  *'  I  promised  you  more  than 
I  am  able  to  perform  ;  you  must  accommodate  your- 
self to  your  future  misery  !  "     No,  it  was  too  dreadful ; 


The  Pillars  of  the  House.  119 

I  could  not  possibly  do  it.  On  the  other  hand,  my 
Carl  was  more  to  me  than  the  whole  universe  besides. 
He  does  not  like  restaurant  sauces  for  a  continuance. 
Nor  shall  he  be  forced  to  like  them.  He  shall  have 
what  he  asks  for — peace  in  the  house. 

It  is  easy  to  say,  peace  in  the  house.  How  splendidly 
one  can  imagine  it  to  oneself  while  sitting  in  an  arm- 
chair !  How  well  people  can  talk  about  it ;  what  wise 
advice  they  can  give  on  the  subject !  But  to  have  it, 
and  keep  it,  is  a  difficult  matter.  I  almost  think  that 
when  people  know  to  some  extent  what  ought  to  be 
done  in  order  to  keep  it,  there  is  not  much  time  left 
wherein  to  make  use  of  the  knowledge.  To  have  ex- 
hausted knowledge  means  to  have  exhausted  life. 

In  my  younger  days  there  would  have  been  a  scene, 
but  grandmother  Wilhelmine  first  let  her  anger  cool 
down  before  calling  Frieda  in  for  a  scolding. 

"  Matters  cannot  go  on  as  they  are  going,"  I  began. 
"  The  looking-glass  is  there  for  both  of  you." — "What 
do  you  mean  ? "  asked  Frieda  naturally. — "  Let  us  have 
no  pretence.  Fraulein  Schulz  complains  that  she  could 
not  get  at  it  because  you  put  yourself  in  the  way." — 
"The  stupid  creature  only  needed  to  have  got  up 
earlier  ;  no  one  would  have  been  in  her  way  then." — 
"Such  expressions  ought  not  to  be  applied  to  one's 
fellow  *  help.'  " — "  I  did  not  choose  her  for  myself." 

"You  should  bear  with  the  frailties  of  your  col- 
leagues."— "  Even  when  they  imitate  your  every  move- 
ment and  every  turn  behind  your  back,  and  laugh 
sneeringly,  so  that  you  cannot  help  seeing  their  ugly 
faces  in  the  glass,  and  pretend  that  they  have  not  done 
it  at  all  when  you  turn  round  ?    And  then,  when  I  seize 

my   hair-brush " — "You   were  not  going  to " 

— "  She  is  not  half  good  enough  for  that.     She  rushed 
off  just  as  she  was." — "  That  is  the  whole  story  ? " — 


120  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

"  Certainly,  Frau  Buchholz."  And  my  Carl  and  I  had 
quarrelled  murderously  with  one  another  owing  to 
that  rubbish  !  A  piece  of  stupidity  like  that  was  to 
blame  for  my  angel  of  a  husband  being  located  behind 
a  foaming  tankard,  though  beer  always  disagrees  with 
him  in  the  morning  !  However,  I  controlled  myself 
so  that  there  should  be  no  broken  bones,  and  said  : 
"  I  have  more  confidence  in  you  than  in  the  other  girl, 
Frieda,  but  that  does  not  make  you  quite  blameless. 
Confess  honestly  that  you  planted  yourself  intention- 
ally in  front  of  the  looking-glass  !  " — *'  I  was  not  going 
to  move  for  a  thing  like  that." — "  Yon  have  a  very 
good  opinion  of  yourself,  Frieda  ;  still,  reflect  that  you 
are  not  the  axis  of  the  world  round  which  everything 
revolves.  You  take  the  smallest  trifle  amiss,  you  sulk 
on  the  slightest  provocation  ;  you  will  never  get 
through  life  like  that." — She  smiled  disdainfully. — 
"  Do  you  expect  to  be  stroked  when  you  scratch  ? " — 
"  Your  remarks  are  quite  beside  the  point,"  she  an- 
swered, "  for  I  am  already  engaged." 

"  But  not  married,  by  any  manner  of  means  !  "  I  ex- 
claimed. 

"  If  you  do  not  frustrate  it,  the  marriage  will  take 
place  next  year." 

"  Frieda  !  "  I  exclaimed.  "  Is  it  possible  ?  And  you 
fling  it  in  my  face  like  that ! " 

"  I  am  just  as  nature  made  me.  If  Max  has  acknowl- 
p'leed  me  openly  as  his  fiancee,  he  must  marry  me  ;  and 
waen  I  am  married  I  shall  have  nothing  to  do  with  the 
whole  affair." 

"And  supposing  you  repulse  him  by  your  selfish 
love  of  ease  ? " 

"  He  will  come  back  again." 

She  looked  at  me  triumphantly  while  saying  this, 
and  was  really  so  pretty,  so  well  formed,  so  bright 


The  Pillars  of  the  House.  12 1 

with  the  consciousness  of  victory,  that  I  was  fairly  as- 
tonished to  see  how  handsome  she  could  be.  Had  I 
been  a  young  man  I  should  have  thought  her  lovable 
at  this  moment.  In  this  self-same  moment,  too,  it  be- 
came clear  to  me  that  Max  had  fallen  in  love  through 
his  eyes,  not  with  his  heart.  Where  was  the  good  of 
teaching  her  some  sort  of  manners,  some  amount  of 
cleverness  in  housekeeping  ?  Her  soul  was  dead,  and 
Max  condemned  to  live  beside  it. 

"  Listen  to  a  candid  word  from  me,  Frieda.  My  in- 
tention was  to  get  you  to  unlearn  all  that  made  you 
unamiable  ;  for  you  are  as  little  ground  into  form  as 
a  wooden  knife.  Your  figure  is  good,  but  your  move- 
ments are  awkward  ;  it  is  no  wonder  that  Ida  made 
game  of  you.  Your  face  is  pretty,  but  its  expression, 
generally  speaking,  is  unpleasant,  ill-tempered,  and 
sulky.  What  have  you  to  boast  of  ?  You  are  not  rich-, 
nor  are  you  of  noble  birth.  You  positively  struggle 
against  being  amiable.  Supposing  you  were  to  get 
small-pox,  and  your  face  to  be  covered  with  scars  ; 
what  would  there  be  left  of  you  to  fall  in  love  with  ? 
At  the  most,  your  newest  dress,  and  that  gets  worn 
out." 

She  got  pale  and  red  alternately.  "  No  one  has  ever 
told  me  that  before." — "  Because  you  are  blindly  in- 
fatuated with  yourself,  and  pay  no  attention  to  what 
people  may  think  of  you,"  I  interrupted  her. 

"I  shall  leave  this  house." 

"  I  have  nothing  against  it.  You  can  return  to  your 
father's  house  to-day." 

She  drew  a  deep  breath  and  struggled  with  herself. 

"  No,  not  to  my  father.  She — the  person  he  is  go- 
ing to  marry — is  already  there.  Oh,  Heavens,  poor 
unhappy  girl  that  I  am  ! "  She  broke  into  a  flood 
of  tears. — "  Frieda,"  I  exclaimed,  "  Frieda,  calm  your- 


122  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

self  !  I  did  not  mean  that.  Stay  here  as  long  as  you 
like." 

She  did  not  hear,  she  did  not  answer ;  she  seemed 
utterly  crushed.     Now  I  really  had  been  too  hard. 

It  was  ever  so  long  before  she  recovered  herself, 
and  even  then  she  could  not  speak.  She  peered  about 
as  if  she  had  been  a  prisoner,  and  could  find  no  way 
for  flight,  and  she  kept  her  hands  in  her  lap  wringing 
one  another.     I  felt  icy  all  over. 

Then  it  seemed  as  if  some  invisible  person  opened 
my  arm  and  drew  it  towards  her.  And  as  I  embraced 
her  and  my  lips  rested  in  mute  apology  on  her  fore- 
head, she  buried  her  head  on  my  heart  and  broke 
once  more  into  a  passion  of  tears. 

Then  she  looked  at  me  :  "  Am  I  really  so  horrid  ? " 

"  Everything  will  come  right,  Frieda  ;  everything, 
everything,  my  child.  Tell  me,  can  you  love  me  a 
little?" 

She  nodded  and  smiled  amid  her  tears. 

"  I  shall  call  you  ^  Du'  Would  you  like  me  to, 
Frieda  ?  " — She  kissed  me. 

"And  do  you  know  who  we  shall  always  be  think- 
ing about ;  for  whom  we  shall  give  ourselves  trouble  ? 
Do  you  know  who  it  is  ?    Your  Max  !  " 

"  He  will  forsake  me."  ^ 

"We  will  bind  him  to  us  with  cords  of  love.  He 
deserves  to  be  loved."  —  Her  features  were  trans- 
figured. 

"  As  you  and  Ida  do  not  get  on  together  anyhow,  it 
is  better  for  you  to  share  a  room  with  Betti.  Call 
her,  child." 

Betti  came  and  agreed  to  it ;  she  would  have  done 
so  solely  on  her  father's  account.  — "  Yes,"  I  said, 
•■'  papa  cannot  bear  such  goings  on.  The  coffee  was 
nothing  but  dirty  water." 


— ,-  •K"^sf^^^.j^-ti^-i^ian^jrif^^j^ 


More  about  the  "Heipi"  123 

"  No  wonder,  when  Fraulein  Schulz  eats  half  of  the 
beans  while  she  is  grinding  them." — "  Have  you  seen 
that,  Betti  ?"— "  No,  but  she  does  it." — "We  shall  see 
to  that  another  time  ;  I  am  too  tired  out  now  ;  I  will 
go  and  lie  down  for  a  little." — "I  hope  you  are  not  ill, 
mamma  ? " — "  Go,  children," 

I  needed  quiet.  Had  the  excitement  been  too  much 
for  me,  or  could  I  not  do  as  much  as  in  former  years  ? 

When  I  woke  up  from  a  refreshing  sleep,  Frieda  was 
sitting  beside  my  bed,  to  mind  me. — "  Are  you  feeling 
well  again  ?  "  she  asked  sympathetically. 

"  Quite  well,  Frieda." 

Then  came  my  husband.  "What  are  you  about, 
old  woman  ?  "      . 

"  It  is  of  no  consequence,  Carl ;  I  am  all  right  again. 
We  have  an  armistice  to-day.  Idiss  is  to  be  confined 
to  her  room,  and  occupy  herself  with  sewing.  Her 
handkerchiefs  have  not  been  hemmed  yet." 


MORE  ABOUT  THE   "HELPS." 

Why  Uncle  Fritz  bestows  a  bottle  of  hair  dye — Why  the  latch-key 
is  fetched  and  Uncle  Fritz  is  not  yet  elected — About  toying 
with  hands  and  elf-like  steps — Why  teeth  are  blue  and  the  Doc- 
tor will  give  away  nothing — About  luck  in  money  matters  and 
the  harmony  of  souls — About  shocking  cards  and  a  robber  game 
— Why  Herr  Kleines  flushes. 

Uncle  Fritz  had  been  so  kind  as  to  call  our  house 
nothing  but  the  Virgin's  Cage,  since  the  "  helps  "  had 
been  resident  in  it,  as  if  I  had  any  need  to  import 
rexation  from  without. 

Oh,  dear  no,  I  was  perfectly  able  to  export  some, 


-f-- 


124  Frau  Wilkelmine. 

and  could  still  have  had  enough  to  build  up  several 
mountains  of  it,  it  was  delivered  to  me  in  such  abun- 
dance !     From  Idiss  more  especially. 

And  then  was  it  seemly  of  Uncle  Fritz  to  present  a 
bottle  of  hair-wash  to  my  Carl  to  prevent  his  growing 
grey  before  his  time  ?  And  it  had  gone  bad  already. 
He  could  only  have  given  a  trifle  for  the  bottle  at  the 
most.     What  is  the  meaning  of  such  silly  jests  ? 

And  lastly,  was  it  right  of  him  to  overwhelm  Idiss 
with  the  broadest,  most  barefaced  compliments,  when- 
ever he  came  to  our  house  ?  All  the  good  I  squeezed 
into  her,  all  the  advice  worthy  of  observance,  vanished 
as  if  from  a  solitary  sugar-basin,  as  soon  as  Uncle  Fritz 
gave  us  the  honour  of  his  company  at  a  game  of  Skat. 

**  Fritz,"  I  asked,  "  what  does  it  mean  ?  You  make 
her  quite  silly.  How  can  you  do  such  a  thing  as  ask 
her  whether  she  knows  how  beautiful  she  is  ?  " — "  1  can- 
not help  it,  Wilhelmine.  If  she  is  not  made  to  be 
laughed  at,  who  is  ? " — "  No  mother  would  like  her 
child  to  be  mocked  at,  Fritz." — "Then  the  worthy 
mother  should  train  her  worthy  daughter  differently." 
— "  Fritz,  I  consider  it  very  arrogant  of  you,  a  bach- 
elor, to  pass  judgment  upon  others." — "Excuse  me,  I 
am  married,  only  I  do  not  happen  to  have  the  certifi- 
cates with  me." — "Ages  must  pass  before  bachelor 
instincts  will  desert  you." — "  I  have  never  had  a  lean- 
ing towards   the   Philistines,  like   your   Carl " — 

"What  do  you  dare  to  say  about  my  husband?" — 
"  Do  listen  to  the  end  of  my  sentence,  and  you  will  see 
there  is  no  need  to  fly  off  in  a  tantrum.  I  was  going 
to  say  :  like  your  Carl,  with  all  his  excellencies,  I  never 
shall  be,  during  the  course  of  my  life  ;  no,  not  even 
if  I  were  to  go  and  be  confirmed  over  again." — "The 
highest  opportunities  would  avail  you  nothing  ;  that 
is  why  you  stay  out  so  late.     You  are  a  perfect  hea- 


-a«S?-!3!5S3E5^>;r  ■' 


More  about  the  '^Helps''  125 

then." — "  I  really  do  not  know  when  heathens  stagger 
home,  but  I  scarcely  think  they  ha'^B"  already  availed 
themselves  of  the  advantages  of  the  Police  regulation 
hours.  Besides,  supposing  that  I  do  use  up  an  even- 
ing with  the  night  belonging  to  it,  it  concerns  nobody 
but  my  wife." — "  Nice  fidelity  that  is,  when  the  man 
goes  in  for  dissipation,  and  the  wife  bathes  herself  in 
her  tears  at  home  ! " — "What  does  she  do  in  her  tears  ? " 
—"Bathes  herself  in  them."— "What  a  delightful 
amusement  that  must  be  !  Could  not  I  see  it  too  ? " — 
"  Fritz,  if  you  loved  your  wife,  as  it  beseems  you  to 
do,  in  the  sight  of  God  and  man,  you  would  not  give 
her  such  occasion  for  grief  ;  as,  for  instance,  the  other 
day  when  I  was  paying  her  a  visit,  and  you  sent  her 
word  by  the  boots  of  the  establishment  that  you  would 
be  coming  home  later.  When  I  asked  what  you  meant 
by  the  word  '  later  '  I  found  that  she  had  already  gone 
to  see  whether  you  might  not  have  forgotten  the  latch- 
key."— "  Have  I  not  got  a  pearl  of  a  wife  ? "  he  ex- 
claimed delightedly,  and  his  eyes  fairly  sparkled. — 
"  Much  too  good  for  you." — "  So  I  suppose  you  drop- 
ped a  certain  amount  of  insect  powder  into  her  ear  ? " 
— "  I  felt  with  her  silently.  The  only  thing  I  said  was  : 
'My  husband  does  not  care  about  restaurants.' " 

"  Does  he  really  never  ?  Your  angel  Carl  ! " — 
"What  ? " — "  He  is  not  so  silly.  He  has  given  up  wor- 
shipping in  the  beer-temples,  and  is  able  to  find  amuse- 
ment in  a  game  of  billiards." 

"  For  some  time  past  my  Carl  has  been  occupied 
nearly  every  evening  in  his  district  club,  and  owing  to 
the  elections,  he  is  obliged  to  be  there  more  frequently 
than  he  cares  about.  What  is  there  to  laugh  about, 
Fritz  ?  My  husband  discharges  his  political  duties  as 
well  as  you." — "If  he  goes  on  as  he  is  doing,  I  should 
think  he  would  be  made  Town  Commissioner." — "Well, 


126  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

where  does  he  play  ? " — '*  I  suppose  he  may  venture  on 
a  tiny  game  after  the  meeting  is  over.  Walking  round 
a  billiard-table  is  very  healthy  exercise  ;  it  balances 
heels  and  head  equally  ;  I  mean,  of  course,  after  men- 
tal over-exertion." — "  Fritz,  you  are  talking  rubbish  !  " 
— "  It  is  possible,''  he  said,  and  became  quite  serious. — 
"  What  is  the  matter  now  ? "  I  asked. 

He  took  out  a  fresh  cigar  quietly,  nipped  off  the  end 
carefully,  lighted  it  slowly,  and  then  said  :  "  I  should 
have  given  you  credit  for  a  better  comprehension  of 
indigenous  languages."  —  "  What  are  you  talking 
about  ?  What  do  you  mean  by  indigenous  languages  ? " 
— "  Such  as  a  person  can  understand  unless  he  has 
tumbled  down-stairs  the  day  before.  Why  did  I  send 
you  the  hair- wash  ? " — ''  It  was  good  for  nothing." — "  It 
would  have  been  a  pity  if  it  had  been  anything 
else." — "  Oh,  really  !  Then  it  was  meant  for  a  sa- 
lem,  or  a  riddle  in  flowers  ? " — "  Selam  is  the  word, 
Wilhelmine,  and  it  was  to  convey  a  lesson." — "  It's 
just  the  same  whether  it's  spelt  'selam'  or 'salem,* 
one  is  just-  as  good  as  the  other.  And  so  it  was  to 
convey  a  lesson  to  my  husband  ? "  —  "  No,  to  you. 
I  merely  wished  to  make  you  understand  that  you 
are  turning  your  husband's  hair  grey  before  its  time 
with  your  training  of  your  'helps,'  and  I  am  hon- 
estly sorry  for  my  brother  -  in  -  law.  Had  it  been 
possible  to  deal  with  you  otherwise  than  in  a  round- 
about way,  1  should  have  advised  you  long  ago  :  send 
the  two  nuisances  to  the  rightabout ;  they  are  no  rela- 
tives of  yours." 

"  If  you  imagine  that  this  is  the  Imperial  Diet,  where 
you  can  be  rude  with  impunity,  you  have  made  a  pret- 
ty considerable  mistake,  so  far  as  I  am  concerned.  I 
request  to  be  treated  with  politeness,  were  it  merely 
for  example's  sake.     What  would   Frieda  and  Idiss 


■  ■^^■/Sr.*s>r*T«s^s:K" 


More  about  the  ''Helps'*  127 

think  of  me,  were  they  to  discover  that  I  had  been 
spoken  to  in  a  manner  which  would  not  even  be  per- 
mitted in  the  Vogtland  quarter  ?  No,  no,  my  friend  ; 
you  have  not  been  elected  yet,  so  try  and  behave  as  if 
we  were  not  all  barbarians  !  " 

"  So  you  won't  listen  to  me,  Wilhelmine.  It  was 
merely  a  suggestion  for  your  good.  Of  course,  you 
can  accustom  your  husband  to  keeping  away  from  his 
home " 

"  Has  he  engaged  you  as  his  advocate  ?  " 

"  Do  you  know  so  little  of  him  ?  No,  he  never  com- 
plains of  his  own  accord,  but  I  have  just  as  much 
sympathy  with  him  as  you  have  with  my  wife.  Wil- 
helmine, seriously,  make  your  husband's  house  pleas- 
ant for  him  again ;  it  is  time  to  do  so." 

"  Can  I  influence  the  young  girls,  when  you,  to  a 
certain  extent,  pay  attentions  to  Idiss  ? " 

"  I  only  wish  to  bring  to  your  notice  FrSulein  Schulz's 
extreme  liability  to  regard  gentlemen's  demonstrative 
attention  as  the  genuine  article.  Do  you  not  choose  to 
see  how  she  coquets  ? " — "  That  child  ? "— "  Watch  that 
child  carefully  ;  she  has  lost  her  belief  in  the  stork  long 
ago."— "Pure  imagination  on  your  part !  " — "Should 
you  ever  find  an  unauthorized  lover  in  her  company, 
and  she  stufifs  you  up  that  it  is  a  mangle  which  some- 
body has  lost,  I  shall  not  be  in  the  least  surprised  ! " 

"  Won't  you  really  ? " 

"  If  you  would  not  always  be  looking  at  the  cards 
while  playing  Skat " — "  That  is  an  unfounded  cal- 
umny."— "  I  mean  at  your  own,  of  course  ; — but  would 
occasionally  look  over  them  towards  the  side-table,  for 
instance,  where  Herr  Kleines  plays  with  her  hand." — 
"Ah,  if  that  is  what  you  are  driving  at,  that's  quite 
another  tune.  I  know  how  to  deal  with  him  ;  he  shall 
find  out  that  as  he  sows  so  he  will  reap." 


128  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

"  That  was  nobly  said  and  still  more  nobly  thought. 
What  is  the  next  company-evening  in  your  young 
ladies'  seminary  ?  " 

"  Every  Friday,  as  usual.  I  will  make  a  note  of  what 
you  have  been  telling  me." 

"Good-bye,  Minchen,  and  turn  over  a  new  leaf." 

Could  I  have  done  otherwise  than  throw  the  shield 
of  my  protection  over  tdiss  ?  Dared  I  have  delivered 
her  up  to  Uncle  Fritz,  for  him  to  find  grounds  for 
further  reproach  ?  Had  I  not  my  own  suspicions  that 
my  Carl  frequently  went  to  the  club,  because  he  had 
no  pleasure  in  his  evenings  at  home? 

A  change  must  be  brought  about;  but  how?  If 
Frau  Schulz  had  not  sent  my  judgment  to  sleep  by 
means  of  my  vanity  I  never  should  have  taken  Idiss, 
And  now  it  was  difficult  to  get  rid  of  her.  Matters  were 
different  with  Frieda.  She  was  developing  slowly  but 
surely.  She  had  been  uncared  for  by  her  father  because 
he  was  caught  in  the  toils  of  a  person,  whose  association 
with  his  growing  daughter  he  dared  not  permit. 
Where  are  habits  that  are  a  matter  of  course  in  a  well- 
regulated  household  to  come  from  under  such  circum-* 
stances  ?  For  one  thing,  when  she  first  appeared  at 
dinner,  she  would  wade  into  the  vegetables  up  to  her 
elbow,  take  a  helping  big  enough  for  three,  and  then 
shovel  it  into  her  mouth  with  her  knife — a  practice 
that  had  been  forbidden  to  my  children  from  their 
earliest  youth,  and  which  is  so  objectionable  to  them 
that  they  cannot  even  bear  to  see  others  do  it.  Cer- 
tainly it  may  be  said  that  every  one  should  eat  as  suits 
him  best.  If  he  makes  no  pretensions  beyond  that — 
why  not  ?  So  far  as  I  am  concerned,  he  may  lick  his 
fingers  away  to  the  bone,  but  then  he  must  not  expect 
afterwards  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  well-brought-up 
person  belonginr;-  to  cultivated  circles. 


"-5?WSy"';- 


More  about  the  "Helps."  129 

I  knew  a  young  girl  who  was  very  pretty,  with  whom 
a  fabulously  rich  foreigner,  and  a  count  into  the  bar- 
gain, fell  in  love.  But  after  he  had  seen  her  eat  for 
the  first  time — and  she  really  did  mean  to  do  it  ele- 
gantly, arranging,  first  a  little  piece  of  meat,  then 
some  potatoes  and  a  little  sauce  most  delicately  on  her 
knife  with  her  fork,  and  carrying  it  with  a  graceful 
movement  to  her  mouth — her  prince  retired.  She 
did  make  a  man  happy  later  on,  but  he  was  no  rich 
foreigner  —  he  hailed  from  Moablte  —  nor  was  he  a 
count  either,  but  a  peat  contractor,  to  whom  it  was 
perfectly  indifferent  whether  she  ate  with  her  knife  or 
her  fork  ;  and  when  she  suggested  to  him,  "  We  will 
eat  straight  out  of  the  dish,  Theodore,"  he  was  satis- 
fied with  that  arrangement  too. 

Occasionally  Frieda  manifests  a  superabundance  of 
zeal,  especially  since  she  has  been  on  better  terms  with 
Betti.  Notwithstanding  that,  I  have  been  obliged  to 
tell  her,  "  Frieda,  hurry  should  not  be  noticeable  in 
domestic  arrangements  ;  things  go  best  with  a  noise- 
less rapidity,  as  if  they  were  wafted  along  on  hares' 
feet,  so  to  speak.  And  no  doubt  you  move  about  with 
a  sort  of  fairy  tread,  but  it  is  more  as  if  all  the  fairies 
put  their  feet  down  together.  You  do  pound  along 
frightfully,  Frieda." 

Then  naturally  she  flies  into  a-rage  and  sulks,  for  bitter 
truths  are  not  pleasant  hearing.  Whoever  has  neglect- 
ed such  opportunities  for  education  as  God  gave  him  in 
his  youth,  is  certain  to  be  knocked  into  shape  later  on 
by  life.  It  beats  the  dust  out  of  people's  clothes  when 
they  have  them  6n.  Neither  entreaties  nor  prayers  are 
of  any  avail,  on  it  goes  with  its  blows  ;  and  if  people 
weep  they  are  laughed  to  scorn,  for  sympathy  cannot 
find  standing  room  in  the  market-place,  though  there 
is  plenty  for  malicious  delight  in  the  woes  of  others. 


130  Frau   Wilkelmine. 

Idiss,  on  the  other  hand,  is  given  to  petty  pilfering. 

Betti  had  afforded  a  proof  of  this  in  the  matter  of 
the  coffee-beans,  and  since  Frieda  makes  the  coffee  in 
the  morning,  and  Ida  in  the  afternoon  under  super- 
vision, it  is  as  good  as  ever. 

We  have  been  obliged  to  lock  away  the  preserves. 
We  only  left  out  one  pot  of  bilberry  jam,  and,  just  as 
we  expected,  she  had  been  at  it — her  lips  and  the 
edges  of  her  nails  betrayed  her.  "  Ida,"  I  said,  "  it  is 
not  appetising  for  those  who  have  to  eat  it  to  know 
that  you  stick  your  fingers  into  everything.  You 
surely  have  not  been  brought  up  on  the  starvation 
system  in  your  parents'  house,  that  you  have  to  make 
up  for  it  now  !  You  will  not  be  curtailed  in  food  or 
drink,  and  those  .secret  bits  and  sups  between  times 
are  unwholesome.  What  but  that  gives  you  that  con- 
stant breaking  out  on  your  mouth  ? " 

Well,  she  could  not  easily  foist  her  blue  teeth  and 
fingers  upon  us  as  an  illusion  ;  that  colour,  thanks  to  nat- 
ural science,  is  a  tolerably  fast  one.  Frieda  too  re- 
marked, as  Ida  stood  convicted  before  us,  "  If  I  were 
in  your  place,  I  should  be  ashamed  of  myself." — 
"  Even  if  it  had  been  vanilla  cream,"  added  Betti. 

Now,  there  is  nothing  more  objectionable  to  my 
Carl  than  blisters  on  people's  lips  ;  in  fact,  it  makes 
him  quite  ill  to  see  anything  in  the  shape  of  an  erup- 
tion ;  and  I  had  frequently  been  obliged  to  request 
Ida  to  dine  in  her  room,  and  suggested  the  use  of 
Friedrichshall  water  to  her.  However,  she  preferred 
leaving  that  beautiful  and  expensive  remedy  un- 
touched, and  dined  with  Doris  in  the  kitchen  instead 
of  alone  ;  although  I  am  not  at  all  in  favour  of  bonds 
of  friendship  between  lady-helps  and  servants,  for 
under  such  circumstances  the  master  and  mistress  are 
the  sufferers.     What  the  one  breaks,  the  other  carries 


>■' -^^T;  *■  v^^  -  5^>^ 


More  about  the  ''Helps''  131 

away  hidden  in  her  apron  to  the  dust-bin  ;  and  be- 
sides, she  gets  so  vulgarized. 

Let  us  hope  that  I  did  not  hear  aright,  for  sound  is  de- 
ceptive, but  I  have  a  very  strong  idea  that  Ida  and  Doris 
christened  me  "  the  old  frump,"  when  there  was  no 
very  considerable  distance  between  them  and  my 
back.  If  I  should  happen  to  hear  the  same  slighting 
term  again,  I  will  give  them  more  than  they  will  like, 
for  I  really  have  not  bargained  to  be  set  down  as  an 
"  old  frump  "  just  yet.  But  it  always  smokes  in  the 
kitchen  when  I  want  to  make  something  to  do  there  ; 
so,  owing  to  my  cough,  I  cannot  play  the  listener 
well. 

First  and  foremost,  I  had  to  interfere  medicinally 
in  the  matter  of  the  eruption,  and  a  son-in-law  is  use- 
ful for  such  purposes.  The  Doctor  answered  my 
post-card  promptly,  and  asked  with  a  smile,  "  What  is 
the  matter,  my  dear  mother-in-law  ?  Do  you  find  a 
difficulty  in  breathing  ?  "  — "  No  ;  I  don't  mean  to 
gratify  you  so  far ;  I  hope  to  remain  above  ground 
for  many  a  year  to  come." — "  Of  course  ;  of  course. 
Where  is  the  seat  of  trouble,  then  ?  In  the  stomacli  ? 
A  little  overburdened,  perhaps  ?  " — "  You  surely  don't 
take  me  for  a  hungry  *  help  '  who  takes  everything 
that  is  indigestible  ?  No,  my  dear  son-in-law,  I  am 
well,  with  the  exception  of  a  little  shortness  of  breath  ; 
this  time  it  is  Fraulein  Schulz  who  is  your  patient.  I 
must  tell  you  that  she  has  blisters  on  her  lips." — "  And 
you  make  a  fool  of  me  for  that,  and  bring  me  to  the 
Landsberger-strasse  !  "  he  said  angrily. — "  It  is  only 
external,"  I  endeavour  to  quiet  him  ;  but  on  he  went 
in  a  rage,  "  It  shows  great  want  of  consideration  to- 
wards my  other  suffering  patients.  The  one  thing  left 
for  you  to  do  is  to  knock  me  up  in  the  middle  of  the 
night.   I  really  should  have  credited  you  with  possess- 


132  •     Frau   Wilhelmine. 

ing  more  common-sense.  Send  the  girl  to  me  during 
consulting  hours.     Is  it  really  bad  ?  " 

"  As  soon  as  one  seems  to  have  gone,  another  comes." 

''  Let  her  paint  it  with  Ichthyol." 

"  Write  it  down.  As  you  happen  to  be  here,  you 
may  as  well  prescribe  for  her." 

He  now  proceeded  to  examine  Ida,  forbade  her  tak- 
ing anything  highly  seasoned,  or  difficult  of  digestion, 
(as,  for  instance,  coffee-beans,  I  suggested,)  especially 
old  cheese,  and  kept  to  his  prescription,  which  proved 
very  beneficial  later  on.  As  soon  as  Ida  was  dismissed, 
he  asked,  "  Shall  I  place  this  visit  to  your  account,  or 
to  the  young  lady's  ?  " 

"  Do  you  really  enter  an  unimportant  thing  like 
this  ?     I  thought  you  would  have  done  it  for  love." 

**  I  only  give  my  knowledge  to  the  poor.  Before  I 
was  capable  of  giving  good  advice,  I  was  obliged  to 
spend  a  large  amount  on  my  studies,  so  we  will  not 
talk  about  'for  love.'  So  it  is  to  be  to  Fraulein 
Schulz's?" 

"Well,  scarcely,  for  it  was  I  who  wrote  and  asked 
for  your  visit !  " 

"Then  it  can  be  put  down  to  my  dear  mother-in- 
law." 

"  But  Ida  cannot  possibly  expect  me  to  pay  her  doc- 
tor's and  apothecary's  bill  if  she  over-eats  herself." 

"  It  depends  on  what  Fraulein  Schulz's  ideas  are. 
Generally  speaking,  doctors  are  not  bothered  about 
such  trivial  ailments  ;  people  wait  patiently  till  they 
disappear." 

"  But  my  Carl  does  not  like  to  see  it." 

"  Then  let  us  put  down  the  visit  to  my  father-in-law." 

"  Doctor  !  When  you  know  how  apt  he  is  to  grum- 
ble at  me." 

"  Do  you  think  then  that  I  am  to  bear  the  loss  ?  " 


Mare  about  the  "Helps.%x^xe  ^33 

CT" — 


"  Doctor,  you  are  an  egoist." 

"It  is  merely  external.  Fare  thee  well,  little  mo- 
ther." 

Why  does  one  take  a  doctor  for  one's  son-in-law,  if 
he  is  productive  of  so  little  profit?  I  thought.  But 
aloud,  I  gave  him  an  invitation  for  Friday.  "  You  will 
be  sure  not  to  miss  our  evening  for  Skat  ?  " 

He  accepted,  and  I  had  the  certainty  of  depriving 
him  of  twice  as  much  as  he  could  put  down  against 
me  ;  I  place  myself  on  the  winning  seat  to  the  right, 
with  my  back  towards  the  book-case.  He  had  such 
tremendous  luck  in  the  same  seat  the  other  day,  that 
he  got  cold  feet  before  the  last  three  rounds.  He  al- 
ways wants  to  pocket  everything.  But  who  can  blame 
him  for  that  ? — one  never  can  be  fortunate  enough 
where  money  is  concerned. 

Emmi  encourages  him  in  his  habit,  for  he  puts  his 
profits  into  her  savings-box,  which  stands  ready  for 
the  purpose  on  her  dressing-table,  so  that  he  shall  not 
forget.  When  he  has  lost,  he  merely  taps  it  with  the 
palm  of  his  hand,  as  if  something  were  going  in  ;  but 
she  adds  it  up  the  next  day,  and  says  :  "  Cheating 's 
no  use,  husband."  Then  he  has  to  put  his  hand  in  his 
pocket  and  produce  a  small  surplus,  which  is  invested 
later  in  the  savings-bank  for  the  twins. 

These  are  small  domestic  pleasures.  Possibly  there 
is  not  much  poetry  in  them,  but  then  they  don't  cost 
much.  Were  things  otherwise  with  us  when  my  Carl 
and  I  were  younger  ?  Hardly ;  the  only  difference 
being  that  in  those  days  the  game  of  Skat  was  un- 
known. 

At  that  time  I  must  acknowledge  that  Skat  was  to 
me  as  a  bottle  sealed  with  seven  seals  ;  there  was  so 
much  to  be  done  that  the  day  seemed  at  least  a  dozen 
hours  too  short  for  all  that  had  to  be  got  through. 


134  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

But  now,  after  sipping  and  sipping,  and  sipping  over 
and  over  again,  I  have  acquired  a  taste  for  it,  and  can 
only  say  that  it  is  more  attractive  than  the  uninitiated 
can  have  the  least  idea  of. 

The  reason  that  we  played  so  frequently  was  to  be 
found  in  the  fact  that  we  were  more  at  home  than 
formerly;  for  when  Felix  was  not  travelling  he  visited 
\)\s>  fiancte,  and  on  those  evenings  we  did  not  go  out. 
If  my  Carl  had  an  engagement,  I  remained  at  home 
with  them  ;  and  if  necessity  tore  me  from  within  my 
four  walls,  my  Carl  chaperoned  them.  In  this  solitude 
the  book  of  knaves  was  a  veritable  book  of  consola- 
tion, as  the  most  delightful  conversation  between  an 
engaged  couple  is  very  much  like  standing  beside  a 
person  who  is  looking  through  a  telescope. 

Our  numbers  were  easily  made  up.  If  we  were  put 
to  it  for  a  player,  we  sent  across  for  Uncle  Fritz,  who 
came  with  Erica,  or  to  Herr  Pfeiffer  or  Herr  Kleines  ; 
Dr.  Paber  was  sometimes  kind  enough  to  come,  or 
Fritz  brought  one  of  his  friends  with  him.  Some- 
times the  Police-Lieutenant  gave  us  the  honour,  and 
then  my  Carl  produced  a  bottle  of  Johannisberg. 
Generally  speaking,  there  was  beer,  or  some  light 
Mussbach  table  wine  for  Dr.  Paber ;  he  likes  it,  and 
both  as  doctor  and  connoisseur  in  wines  has  proved 
its  excellence.  For  my  part,  I  have  learned  to  value 
tea ;  but  it  must  be  first-rate,  or  else  it  will  have  been 
concocted  in  vain  as  far  as  Wilhelmine  is  concerned. 

Now  my  "helps"  were  the  cause  of  a  break  in  the 
former  harmony  of  souls.  Carl  paid  greater  attention 
to  the  district  club  than  was  quite  compatible  with 
his  duties  as  husband.  Erica  generally  declined,  and 
Uncle  Fritz  followed  suit ;  and  the  young  people,  Herr 
Kleines  and  Herr  Pfeiffer,  were  always  most  useful 
for  filling  up,  but  I  had  not  accustomed  them  to  being 


More  about  the  ''Helps."  135 

invited  by  themselves.  In  order  that  I  should  not 
quite  lose  my  little  bit  of  practice,  I  found  myself 
obliged  to  arrange  an  evening  At  Home  for  Skat,  and 
I  chose  Friday  on  the  Doctor's  account. 

And  they  came  with  pleasure.  Betti  undertook  the 
refreshment  department ;  and  as  soon  as  we  had  fin- 
ished with  that,  the  ladies  and  those  who  were  not 
wanted  for  Skat  occupied  themselves  with  a  round 
game  at  the  big  table. 

The  same  thing  happened  this  evening.  The  "  helps," 
Emmi,  Betti,  Erica,  Felix,  and  Herr  Kleines  had  set- 
tled down  to  a  low  Vingt-et-un.  My  Carl,  I,  the  Doc- 
tor, and  Uncle  Fritz  circulated  the  knaves. 

The  scale  of  victory  was  most  unevenly  balanced, 
the  Doctor  won  one  game  after  another. — "You  have 
got  a  lucky  pig  at  home,  I  suppose  ? "  asked  Uncle 
Fritz. — "  These  are  the  first  cards  I  have  had  for  six 
weeks.  "  You  won't  grudge  me  my  knave  of  diamonds  ? 
It  counts  for  ten." — "  I  don't  grudge  you  your  good 
play,"  said  I. — "Very  kind  of  you,  dear  mamma-in- 
law." — "Whoever  has  luck  to  begin  with  loses  later 
on,"  I  added. — "  Are  we  going  to  play  or  talk  ? "  grum- 
bled my  Carl,  who  had  not  had  a  turn  at  all.  "  Who 
leads ?"—"  You,  Carl."— " Spades  are  trumps."— "Ex- 
cuse me,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  I  am  before  you.  A  grand." 
— "  That  comes  of  talking  too  much  '  "  scolded  my 
husband.-^" Really,"  said  the  Doctor,  "the  first  time 
any  one  has  spoken  !  Where  are  the  knaves  ? "  and  he 
played  out  the  knave  of  clubs.  As  he  had  the  second 
best  as  well,  he  drew  my  husband's  other  two  and  his 
nice  plump  spade  as  well. — "Nothing  to  be  done 
against  it,"  said  Fritz. — "  There  is  some  one  still  living 
over  the  hills,"  I  retorted,  and  made  a  trick  with  my 
ten  of  clubs.  However,  the  Doctor  had  enough  already, 
and  said  triumphantly,  "  Thirty  !  " — "  If  I  had  not  had 


"-^'g'7;^!T^-^sr-''i7jisK,\ss>r 


136  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

the  ten,  we  would  have  been  worse  off  still,"  I  said,  to 
put  him  down. 

As  I  had  placed  myself  in  the  supposed  winning 
seat,  it  was  difficult  for  me  to  keep  an  eye  on  the  large 
table,  where  there  was  a  good  deal  of  merriment  going 
on  ;  while  I  was  taking  up  one  wretched  card  after 
another ;  and  if  I  did  happen  to  do  something,  some- 
body overtopped  me,  or  else  I  made  a  revoke.  I  might 
just  as  well  have  made  a  voluntary  selection  of  all  the 
rubbish,  so  certain  was  it  to  be  death  to  me. 

"  No,"  said  I  ;  "to  sit  here  like  a  frog  and  watch  all 
the  others  with  their  hands  full  of  knaves,  is  not  ex- 
actly amusing." — "  The  gamester  is  by  God  despised, 
for  he  to  others'  gold  doth  cling,"  spouted  Uncle 
Fritz. — "Will  you  not  get  Herr  Kleines  to  exchange 
with  you  ? " 

"  Now  that  I  have  a  nullo  ?  Not  a  bit  of  it." — "  Do 
look  how  he  and  Idiss  are  squeezing  each  other's 
hands,"  Uncle  Fritz  whispered  to  me  quietly. 

A  hasty  glance  revealed  the  accuracy  of  his  remark  ; 
the  two  of  them  were  playing  with  each  other's  hands 
underneath  the  table.  At  the  same  moment  it  dawned 
upon  me  why  Ida  had  made  herself  so  extremely  grand 
this  evening. 

"  Wilhelmine,  we  are  waiting  for  you." — "  Do  I  play  ?  " 
— "  Always  the  one  that  bids."—"  Who  bids  ?  "—"Why, 
you." — "  If  Uncle  Fritz  has  dealt,  the  lead  is  with  you." 
— "Has  he  just  dealt?" — "Don't  you  see  that  he  is 
left  out  in  the  cold  ?  " — "  Oh,  yes  !  What  has  been 
bid  ? " — "  You  offered  us  a  tiny  nullo,  worthy  mamma- 
in-law." — "  So  I  did.  Just  give  me  a  minute." — To 
make  a  discovery  such  as  I  had  just  made  beside  me 
at  the  large  table,  and  to  play  a  nullo  with  two  such 
hardened  sinners  as  my  husband  and  the  Doctor,  is 
almost  beyond  the  human  organisation.     One  has  only 


More  about  the  ^' Helps''  137 

to  know  those  brothers  in  iniquity. '  They  lie  in  wait 
like  tigers,  and  as  soon  as  ever  they  find  out  anything, 
they  fall  upon  one  !  But  how  carefully  I  played  the 
game  ;  how  I  avoided  their  snares  !  I  certainly  won, 
but  I  shouldn't  wish  a  dog  such  a  trial. 

Now  that  the  luck  was  turning,  I  was  forced  to  stop  ; 
for  the  only  way  of  making  Herr  Kleines  harmless 
without  drawing  attention  to  him,  was  to  give  him  my 
place  at  Skat,  while  I  took  part  in  the  game  of  Vingt-et- 
un — which,  by  the  way,  I  hate,  as  it  is  never  played 
without  a  certain  amount  of  trickery,  and  generally 
speaking  there  is  downright  cheating  over  it. 

And  what  happened  ?  He'^raightway  got  a  solo  in 
clubs  with  four  that  ought  to  have  fallen  to  my  lot  if 
everybody  had  their  rights,  while  I  sat  down  beside 
Ida,  who  looked  round  after  her  sweetheart  so  long 
that  I  said  :  "  Do  not  dislocate  your  neck,  Fraulein 
Schulz  ;  you  have  only  one  to  twist !  " 

Erica  had  lost  the  most  in  this  robbers'  game,  be- 
cause she  was  too  honest  to  push  aces  underneath  the 
table,  and  to  unite  with  her  neighbour  in  secret 
manipulation  of  the  cards.  How  can  solitary  honesty 
protect  itself  against  the  frauds  of  the  many?  She 
has  to  endure.  Or  she  even  smiles  at  her  supposed 
want  of  luck,  as  Erica  did,  and  bears  it  with  gentle- 
ness, in  the  firm  conviction  that  fate  is  fighting  against 
her. 

Herr  Kleines  won  to  such  an  extent  that  the  Doctor 
began  to  abuse  him.  After  some  rounds  I  discovered 
that  Betti  and  Felix  had  been  cheating  in  company, 
likewise  Emmi  and  Frieda  ;  that  Hear  Kleines  and  Ida 
had  worked  in  partnership  was  a  matter  of  course. 

"  Ah,"  I  said,  "  now  the  fraud  has  come  to  an  end, 
all  winnings  are  to  be  returned  ;  my  house  is  not  a 
gambling-hell.     You  may  cheat  each  other  for  ginger- 


K;«Tl<;r-vS„ 


138  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

nuts  as  much  as  ever  you  like,  but  not  for  money.  Out 
with  it." 

The  revelations  that  followed  on  this  were  very  in- 
structive. The  certainly  very  difficult  task  of  redis- 
tribution resulted  in  showing  that  Fraulein  Schulz  had 
pocketed  all  Herr  Kleines'  winnings. — "  Have  you  got 
as  far  as  community  of  goods  already  ? "  I  asked  her 
sharply. 

"  I  had  left  my  purse  in  my  overcoat,"  called  out  Herr 
Kleines  ;  "  Fraulein  Schulz  was  kind  enough  to  take 
care  of  my  winnings  for  me.  Hearts  are  trumps,"  and 
he  flung  down  the  card  as  if  he  meant  to  ram  it  into 
the  table. 

•After  this  we  talked  about  one  thing  and  another. 
Ida  was  persuaded  that  she  was  tired  and  ought  to  go 
to  bed,  and  the  gentlemen,  too,  began  to  have  had 
enough  ;  for  Herr  Kleines,  who  play^  a  very  bold 
game  as  usual,  fleeced  the  others  to  such  an  extent 
that  never  before  had  so  much  been  lost  in  our  house 
during  the  course  of  one  evening. 

"  That  is  how  people  play  in  Venice  and  the  sur- 
rounding woodland  hamlets,"  laughed  Herr  Kleines, 
picking  up  his  ill-gotten  gains,  which,  accurately 
speaking,  really  belonged  to  me.  But  his  mind  had 
not  a  legal  bent. 

"  Kleines,"  said  the  Doctor,  "  you  are  too  lucky  in 
play  ;  you  are  bound  to  be  unlucky  in  love." — "Who 
knows  ?  "  I  remarked  pointedly,  and  he  got  as  red  as 
fire. 

When  Herr  Kleines  was  saying  good-night,  I  took 
him  aside  for  a  moment,  "  Young  man,"  I  threatened 
him,  "  I  allow  no  frivolous  sport  in  my  house,  either 
with  cards  or  girls'  hearts.  Would  you  like  to  have 
the  address  of  Fraulein  Schulz's  parents,  or  shall  I 
write  to  them  ? " 


Winter  Evenings.  139 

"  Do  you  wish  to  make  the  poor  girl  miserable  for 
the  whole  of  her  life  ?  "  he  retorted  coolly.        >■ 

My  arms  sunk  to  my  side,  and  he  escaped. 

"  Well  ? "  asked  Uncle  Fritz,  "  what  have  you 
done  ? " 

"  Nothing.  Fritz,  no  one  is  a  match  for  that  man. 
He  is  capable  of  marching  into  church  whistling  ! " 


WINTER   EVENINGS. 

How  innocent  pleasure  is  destroyed — About  specialties  and  execu- 
tions— About  literature  and  the  tobacco  monopoly — The  little 
story  about  the  two  white  dresses — Why  three  stars  are  put  and 
Betti  reads  on — The  continuation  of  the  little  story — How  the 
ttory  ends  and  why  Max  is  pitied. 

Petroleum  is  the  most  accurate  measure  of  time 
for  the  winter  ;  the  more  of  it  is  used,  the  longer  grow 
the  evenings,  and  the  more  difficult  it  becomes  so  to 
shorten  them  that  every  one  may  derive  enjoyment 
from  them. 

If  people  are  together  for  a  whole  livelong  day  and 
yesterday  as  well,  and  the  day  before  yesterday  and 
to-morrow  and  the  day  after  to-morrow,  what  fresh 
news  can  they  have  to  give  one  another,  more  espe- 
cially when  there  are  strange  ears  in  the  house  ?  If 
one  says  this  or  that,  who  knows  how  it  will  be  re- 
peated later  on  ? 

Not  necessarily  of  malicious  intent,  certainly  not ; 
but  the  most  harmless  piece  of  harmlessness  becomes 
mischievous  when  taken  up  by  ill-natured  tongues, 
and  unfortunately  there  is  no  lack  of  that  sort.  One 
is  almost  inclined  to  agree  with  Uncle  Fritz,  who,  to- 
gether with  the  more  modern  professors,  is  in  favour 


140  Frau  Wilhelmine. 

of  man's  descent  from  the  chimpan?ee,  for  the  human 
creature  is  just  as  full  of  malice  as  apes  are;  the  only 
puzzling  part  of  it  being  who  could  have  fed  us  while 
we  were  springing  about  in  our  cages  !  Therefore 
there  must  have  been  people  there. 

Our  social  intercourse  had  become  somewhat  lim- 
ited at  this  time.  "  Helps  "  cannot  be  left  alone,  for 
no  wisdom  is  capable  of  foreseeing  the  mischief  which 
they  may  have  taken  an  opportunity  of  doing  before 
one  returns,  and  I  at  least  cannot  carry  on  an  inter- 
esting conversation  In  society  when  I  am  forced  to 
ponder  every  minute  :  What  drawer  are  they  prying 
into  now  ?  Can  they  have  gone  off  secretly  ?  I 
wonder  if  the  lamp  has  -fallen  off  the  table  ?  Shall  I 
find  the  house  one  mass  of  flames,  or  a  fire-engine  in 
the  front  of  it  at  the  very  least  ?  How  is  it  possible 
under  such  circumstances  to  devote  one's  entire  at- 
tention to  the  vexed  question  of  whether  a  singer  in 
the  opera  has  taken  a  note  too  high  or  too  low,  or 
whether  cherries  are  cheaper  and  bigger  this  year,  or 
were  they  smaller  and  sweeter  last  year  ? 

So  I  only  paid  odd  visits  here  and  there  with  my 
"  helps,"  partly  to  find  out  whether  people  objected  to 
their  being  introduced,  and  partly  to  save  them  from 
embarrassment.  When  one  takes  out  young  girls  who 
have  not  quite  a  recognised  social  position,  they  are 
of  course  received  and  welcomed  with  friendliness, 
but  still  they  are  given  to  understand, — another  time 
you  had  better  stay  away,  for  we  do  not  know  you, 
cannot  tell  who  you  are,  and  have  no  kind  of  obliga- 
tion towards  you  personally.  If  we  receive  you  in 
our  houses,  it  is  merely  to  please  Frau  Buchholz,  or 
whoever  the  lady  may  be  who  is  introducing  her  new 
"help,"  fresh  from  the  railway  station,  amongst  the 
various  families. 


^j»:'!^WKm^W^  ''■,': 


Winter  Evenings.  141 

It  is  only  by  slow  degrees  that  the  g^rl  succeeds  in 
acquiring  recognition  and  friendship  on  her  own  ac- 
count, that  people  learn  to  trouble  themselves  about 
her,  to  like  her,  and  lastly  to  esteem  her.  That  is  to 
say,  if  she  is  worthy  of  it. 

Therefore  the  best  course  to  pursue  is  first  of  all  to 
let  her  settle  down,  and  then  to  introduce  her  at  those 
houses  where  it  is  probable  that  she  will  not  only  be 
welcomed,  but  where  she  will  be  able,  with  her  tal- 
ents, to  play  a  small  part. 

We  generally  spent  our  evenings  at  home,  but  in 
order  to  do  the  theatres  a  good  turn,  we  often  went  to 
them  by  way  of  a  change,  generally  in  a  family  party 
including  some  friends  ;  or  we  went  to  concerts,  or  to 
the  Concordia,  where  people  pay  their  money  to  see 
dislocations  of  limbs,  or  other  things  that  cannot  pos- 
sibly happen  in  middle-class  life,  which  they  call 
specialties,  and  which  inspire  partly  pleasure  and 
partly  fear. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  trained  seals  amused  me 
very  much,  although  I  do  not  understand  why  they 
have  learned  to  smoke  cigars.  I  consider  it  highly 
judicious,  however,  that  they  have  been  taught  how 
to  save  drowned  people,  which  they  exemplified  on  a 
boy,  who  played  at  being  drowned  in  a  sort  of  pond, 
for  by  this  means  they  might  be  made  useful  to  the 
navigators  of  the  North  Pole.  Uncle  Fritz,  who  was 
with  us,  certainly  suggested  it  .would'  be  all  the  same 
whether  an  open  passage  was  discovered  at  the  Pole 
or  not,  as  it  would  always  be  frozen  over ;  but  not- 
withstanding this,  there  is  something  scientific  about 
trained  seals,  and  these  few  groschens  have  not  been 
thrown  away. 

The  clowns,  too,  who  have  discovered  how  to  make 
people  laugh  are  worth  the  money.     If  you  think  he 


142  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

is  going  to  stand,  he  tumbles  down  ;  and  when  he  is 
going  to  sit,  he  stands  on  his  head. 

Indeed,  it  is  astonishing  the  way  in  which  people 
risk  their  lives  to  gain  a  livelihood.  "  Thank  your 
Creator,"  I  remarked  to  Betti  and  the  "  helps,"  "  that 
you  do  not  need  to  balance  yourself  on  chair-backs. 
l.i  they  once  got  me  on  the  flying  trapeze,  how  low  I 
should  lie  ! " 

Not  only  was  their  love  of  sight-seeing  satisfied  by 
such  means,  but  the  mind,  for  which  small  provision 
is  made  in  specialty  theatres,  was  elevated. 

But  as  the  bent  of  mind  forms  the  character,  it  was 
especially  its  domestic  cultivation  that  was  important. 
■Ghost  stories  are  not  suitable  for  this  purpose,  as  Idiss 
will  not  sleep  alone  after  hearing  them,  though  they 
certainly  are  quite  the  nicest  when  told  shortly  before 
midnight.  Instead  of  these,  we  determined  on  read- 
ing something  aloud. 

Betti  suggested  the  paper,  as  giving  one  what  was 
most  recent. 

"  Say  rather  what  is  most  horrible  !  "  I  exclaimed. 
"All  the  horrible  things  that  people  do,  appear  in- 
stantly in  the  paper.  When  a  malefactor  has  been  ex- 
ecuted, no  matter  how  few  spectators  were  admitted 
to  see  it,  do  not  the  papers  tell  us  how  pale  he  be- 
came, how  he  was  bound,  thrown  down,  how  they 
chopped  away  at  him,  how  his  blood  trickled  on  to 
the  sand,  and  how  heart-rending  it  was  to  stand  and 
witness  it  ?  Why  does  one  get  it  all  in  print  in  the 
morning,  before  one's  breakfast,  when  it  makes  sym- 
pathetic people  feel  so  ill  that  they  cannot  look  at 
roast  beef  for  a  week  ? 

"  If  one  person  kills  another,  he  is  enshrined  in  the 
newspaper ;  if  any  one  cheats,  absconds,  steals,  poi- 
sons himself  and  others,  the  papers  take  a  tender  in- 


■^^' 


Winter  Evenings.  143 

terest  in  his  welfare,  even  though  he  be  a  criminal  of 
past  centuries,  if  crime  happens  to  be  flat.  As  soon 
as  a  person  wishes  to  become  celebrated  for  some 
days,  he  does  something  or  the  other  execrable,  and 
the  papers  indulge  him  ;  exactly  like  the  brothers 
Penn,  when  they  can  find  no  shelter,  they  break  plate- 
glass  windows,  and  the  heated  prison  opens  its  doors 
lovingly  to  them. 

"  Many  who  have  done  wrong  and  gone  through  their 
penance,  wish  perhaps  that  they  were  rather  less  well 
known — who  knows  what  necessity  or  rashness  may 
have  driven  them  ? — but  their  wish  is  of  no  avail,  they 
are  dragged  before  the  general  public,  the  brand  of 
their  shame  is  chafed  larger  in  all  directions,  when 
otherwise  it  would  not  have  been  known  ;  so  that  it 
takes  more  tears  to  wipe  it  out,  more  repentance  to 
rub  it  away  ;  but  by  that  time  it  is  too  large  and  it 
remains, 

"  The  pillory  has  been  done  away  with,  indeed  it 
was  not  a  thing  to  be  tolerated  ;  but  are  there  not 
papers  which  maintain  the  pillory  in  undiminished 
strength  ? 

"  They  do  so.     And  we  ? 

"  To  speak  honestly,  we  consider  it  amusing.  A 
paper  which  excludes  such  horrors  is  tedious. 

"  And  what  is  the  real  meaning  of  amusing  ?  *  Mirth- 
provoking  '  is  what  it  means.  Are  we  not  a  highly 
cultured  folk,  when  murder,  and  mortal  blows,  and 
filthy  vice  provoke  our  mirth  ? 

"  Some  people  call  it  *  interesting,*  but  it  means  the 
same  thing  as  'amusing*;  for  where  pleasure  runs 
short  it  is  apt  to  be  uninteresting,  nor  does  any  one 
attend  to  it." 

The  mental  supervision  of  the  "  helps  '*  made  it  my 
duty  to  preserve  them  from  too  bloodthirsty  stories  ; 


1,44  Frail    Wilhelmine. 

for  either  what  you  read  possesses  some  influence,  or 
it  is  without  effect,  and  may  be  confined  within  the 
limits  of  Bradshaw  and  the  current  prices  of  the  day. 

Betti  and  I  looked  out  something  suitable  for  our 
evening  literature  beforehand,  and  when  it  was  neces- 
sary to  give  an  admonition  to  one  of  the  "  helps," 
some  story  was  read  where  the  fault  of  which  they  had 
been  guilty,  occurred  ;  that  is  to  say,  if  there  just  hap- 
pened to  be  one  of  the  kind  wanted.  When  Ida  com- 
pletely scorched  my  morning  cap  the  other  day,  while 
ironing  it,  I  made  her  a  present  of  it.  Ttien  in  the 
evening  we  read  about  the  Hamburg  fire,  because  that 
was  the  most  suitable  thing  we  could  find,  and  the 
necessity  of  caution  with  fire,  heated  irons,  and  the 
like  could  be  pointed  out. 

The  other  day  there  was  a  story  in  Schorer's  "  Fam- 
ilienblatt  "  which  seemed  as  if  it  had  been  written  for 
Frieda,  for  she  is  capable  of  forgetting  her  betrothed 
over  a  costume,  and  there  was  a  deeper  meaning  in  it 
which  she  was  at  liberty  to  apply  to  herself. 

When  we  had  finished  our  meal,  and  my  poor  Carl 
had  been  obliged  to  go  to  his  horrid  district  club — I 
could  wish  that  they  ordered  better  cigars  among 
other  items  of  their  electioneering  expenses,  for  he 
often  comes  home  reeking  so  dreadfully  of  smoke, 
that  one  imagines  they  must  have  consumed  the  whole 
tobacco  supply — we  sat  down  to  our  work  at  the  big 
Yound  table  (another  old  heirloom),  and  I  gave  Ida 
the  magazine  containing  the  story  of  the  "  White 
Dresses."  After  Ida  had  blown  her  nose,  during  which 
performance  she  half  buried  herself  under  the  table,  to 
hide  her  soiled  handkerchief,  for  she  has  only  hemmed 
three  and  a  half,  she  began  : 

"  It  was  her  tenth  birthday." 

"  Whose  birthday  ?  "  inxts-^rupted  Frieda. 


^j'^fi^i^r^  '7,^;:J7,?i^^2^'-  i^::  ''^-'^\ 


Winter  Evenings.  145 

"  Patience  ;  we  are  sure  to  find  out  about  it.  Go 
on,  Ida,  but  with  a  little  more  expression." 

"  It  was  her  tenth  birthday,"  read  Ida,  "  and  a  Sun- 
day as  well,  so  it  was  a  double  day  of  rejoicing.  Her 
mother  had  seemed  full  of  secrets  the  last  few  days,  and 
stayed  up  late  at  night  long  after  her  father  had  re- 
tired to  rest.  The  little  one  had  a  good  idea  that 
something  was  on  foot,  for  the  lamp-light  just  fell  on 
her  bed  through  the  open  bed-room  door,  and  aroused 
her  more  than  once  from  her  sleep  and  dreams.  Then 
she  would  speculate  as  to  what  the  meaning  of  that 
clear  light  could  be,  but  she  had  too  little  courage  to 
ask  about  it,  and  so  she  went  to  sleep  again,  to  dream 
further  dreams  about  her  dolls,  her  toys,  her  school 
work,  and  her  knitting,  which  was  hardly  a  source  of 
joy  to  her. 

"  However,  on  the  morning  of  her  birthday  it  was 
given  to  her  to  know  why  her  mother  had  sat  up  so 
frequently.  The  secret  was  handed  over  to  her  in  the 
shape  of  a  white  dress,  trimmed  with  lace — cotton  lace, 
it  must  be  admitted,  as  large  expenses  could  not  be 
incurred — and  with  a  sash  of  red  silk  ribbon.  The 
ribbon  was  not  new  either — the  mother  had  worn  it 
before  ;  but  what  is  chemical  cleaning  for  ? 

"It  was  a  real  beauty,  this  white  dress;  no  princess 
could  have  had  a  finer  one,  or  at  least  none  more  fashion- 
ble,  in  the  mother's  opinion,  who  had  borrowed  the  pat- 
tern from  one  of  her  acquaintances,  a  person  working  in 
a  first-class  dressmaking  establishment  in  the  Friedrich- 
strasse,  who  therefore  knew  very  well  what  was  stylish 
and  what  not.  *  And  how  grand  the  child  will  Jook 
when  we  go  out  together  this  afternoon  ! '  exclaimed 
the  mother,  who  did  not  find  the  praise  contributed  by 
her  own  small  family  circle  sufficient  for  the  work  of 
her  hands.     *Our  child  need  not  be  ashamed,  to  be 


146  Frati   Wilkehnine. 

seen,  more  especially  in  the  new  dress.  We  will  buy 
a  new  hat  to  suit  it  on  our  way;  she  could  not  wear 
the  old  one,  anyhow.  I  have  seen  one  in  a  shop  win- 
dow that  really  is  not  a  bit  dear,' 

"*I  think  she  has  enough  with  the  dress,'  the  father 
quietly  answered.  *  You  know,  wife,  that  we  must 
cut  our  coats  according  to  the  cloth  ;  my  salary  is 
only  a  small  one.  And  then,  I  should  not  like  the  girl 
to  get  vain.  That  would  be  the  very  worst  present 
for  her  birthday,  and  might  be  bad  for  us  all  in  the 
long  run.' 

"  *  But,  husband,  is  the  child  to  look  like  a  scare- 
crow ?  What  are  you  thinking  of  ? — a  new  dress  and 
an  old  hat  would  not  go  at  all  well  together.  Are  the 
people  we  meet  to  ask.  What  kind  of  a  scarecrow  is 
that,  with  a  new,  white  dress  and  shabby,  worn-out 
hat?  No;  it  would  be  better  for  Matilda  not  to  put 
on  the  dress  at  all,  than  have  the  finger  of  scorn 
pointed  at  her  ;  I  would  rather  have  sat  up  at  night 
and  worked  myself  to  death  for  nothing  ;  rather  not 
go  out  at  all  to-day,  though  I  have  been  looking  for- 
ward to  it  so  much;  rather '    But  here  the  degrees 

of  comparison  necessary  to  the  woman  for  a  descrip- 
tion of  her  woes,  came  to  an  end,  and  therefore  the 
argument  of  arguments — a  flood  of  tears — put  in  its 
appearance.  The  child  cried  too,  without  knowing 
why,  and  the  hat  was  agreed  to.  But  the  birthday 
feeling  was  gome. 

"  Dinner  was  quietly  eaten,  without  the  merry  chat- 
ter that  was  usual  on  such  occasions,  and  after  the 
meal  was  done  mother  and  child  went  to  dress,  as  they 
wished  to  have  something  of  an  afternoon.  During 
this  period  the  father  read  the  paper,  which  he  and 
his  neighbours  shared,  but  he  could  not  fix  his  atten- 
tion on  what  he  was  reading ;    more   than    once    he 


Winter  Evenings.  147 

glanced  up  from  his  paper  and  looked  straight  in  front 
of  him  into  a  far,  far  distance,  as  if  he  were  trying  to 
gaze  into  the  future. 

"  At  this  moment  the  bed-room  door  opened  and  his 
child  came  out,  dressed  in  her  white  frock  with  the  red 
sash,  and  beaming  with  delight.  Her  eyes  sparkled 
bright  and  clear  as  only  children's  eyes  can  sparkle  ; 
her  cheeks  glowed  in  happy  excitement,  and  the  fair 
curls  framed  the  merry  life  in  a  golden  glimmer,  like 
spring  sunshine  waking  the  blossoming  buds  with  its 
kisses.  Her  father  got  up,  wishing  to  fold  his  child 
in  his  arms,  and  press  her  with  delight  to  his  heart, 
but  she  pushed  him  away  and  said  :  *  Papa,  you  will 
crumple  my  new  frock.' 

"  *  Don't  you  love  me  any  more  then  ? '  exclaimed 
the  father. 

"  *  Certainly  ! '  answered  the  child  ;  *  to-morrow  and 
every  other  day,  only  not  to-day  !  I  must  take  great 
care  of  my  new  frock  ! ' 

"  The  father  did  not  say  a  word,  but  went  into  the 
bed-room  to  reproach  his  wife  seriously  about  the 
wrong  path  in  which  she  was  leading  the  child,  about 
the  foolishness  of  letting  dress  seem  of  more  import- 
ance to  her  than  the  natural  stirring  of  the  emotions. 
His  wife  answered  quietly  that  the  child  must  begin 
to  think  a  little  about  her  appearance,  she  was  quite 
old  enough  to  do  so — he,  being  a  man,  could  under- 
stand nothing  about  it.  While  this  conversation  was 
going  on,  the  child — happening  to  be  alone — had 
pushed  a  chair  into  the  middle  of  the  room,  placed 
herself  upon  it,  and  was  looking  in  the  glass  with  the 
greatest  delight  at  her  new  white  frock  with  its  red 
sash,  made  out  of  the  chemically-cleaned  ribbon. 

"  When  the  family  returned  home  in  the  evening,  the 
discord  had  ail-but  disappeared.     Many  an  eye  had 


^(^--,lI^e■>^■■^ 


148  Frau    Wilheltnine. 

rested  with  pleasure  on  the  charming  girl  and  smiled 
at  her.  A  susceptible  disposition  cannot  be  indiffer- 
ent to  the  charm  which  a  fresh  expanding  human  rose 
spreads  around  it  ;  it  is  that  charm  that  leads  the  im- 
agination to  people  heaven  with  angels  in  the  form  of 
lovely  children,  such  as  poets  describe  to  us  in  song, 
and  painters  represent  on  their  canvas,  and  it  was  that 
self-same  charm  that  drew  the  glances  of  the  passers- 
by  in  the  Park  now  and  then  towards  the  child  in  the 
white  dress. 

"  This  flattered  the  mother's  vanity ;  she  drew  her 
husband's  attention  to  the  sensation  that  the  girl  was 
creating,  and  jogged  his  elbow  each  time  that  some- 
body noticed  the  little  one,  and  these  small  signs 
gradually  dissipated  her  anger  over  all  that  had  gone 
before.  She  occasionally  called  to  the  child  with 
motherly  care  :  *  Matilda,  hold  yourself  straight ;  the 
people  are  looking  at  you  ! '  And  Matilda  did  as  her 
mother  commanded. 

"  It  seemed  as  if  for  this  evening  sleep  had  deserted 
the  little  bed,  to  which  it  found  its  way  so  easily  at 
other  times.  The  little  one  lay  awake  for  a  long  time, 
and  dreamt  with  open  eyes  of  the  glistening  silk  dre]sses 
which  she  had  seen  ;  of  hats  with  flowers  and  feathers  on 
them  ;  of  gold  ornaments  and  glittering  stones.  Ah, 
could  she  but  have  such  things  !  Things  as  beautiful  or 
even  more  beautiful  than  those  ladies  had,  who  drove 
past  her,  and  whom  she  had  seen  in  the  brilliantly 
illuminated  Park,  laughing  and  jesting  as  they  walked 
to  and  fro.  How  would  the  people  look  at  her  then  ?  she 
wondered.  She  never  cast  a  thought  towards  her  dolls 
and  toys — they  were  deposed  from  this  day  forward." 
***** 

"  Is  the  story  finished  already  ?  "  asked  Frieda. 

"  There   is  about  as  much  more,"  answered  Ida  • 


•7'2.<f^-.f!.—i-;^'^:^^-mr--.i--'^ 


Winter  Evenings.  149 

"  but  there  ^re  five  asterisks  here,  to  show  that  we  may 
take  breath," 

"  They  signify  a  pause,  or  that  a  certain  amount  of 
time  elapses  between  the  parts,"  thus  I  proceeded  to 
instruct  youth  which  has  not  much  experience  in  liter- 
ary details.  "  When  an  author  wishes  to  arouse 
thoughtfulness  in  his  readers,  he  attracts  his  glance  to 
such  stars,  for  is  not  the  star-bestrewn  sky  chiefly  cre- 
ated to  make  us  thoughtful  ?  And  now  let  us  inter- 
change ideas.  For  instance,  how  do  you  like  the  little 
girl,  Ida?" 

«  What  little  girl  ?  " 

"  Why,  the  one  you  have  just  been  reading  about !  " 

Ida  was  confused. — "  Aha,  the  good  effects  are  show- 
ing themselves  ;  the  story  is  as  efficacious  as  the  con- 
tents of  a  chemist's  shop  !  "  I  said  to  myself,  and  there- 
fore I  considered  it  advisable  to  encourage  her  in 
giving  her  opinion.  "  Speak  out  your  mind  ;  there  is 
no  tax  on  thoughts." — "  I — I,"  she  stammered,  "  I — 
when  I  am  reading  aloud,  I  never  really  know  what  I 
am  reading  about !  " 

Betti  smiled,  and  went  on  with  her  work  without 
looking  up. 

"What  do  you  think  about  it,  Frieda?"  I  endeav- 
oured to  draw  her  into  the  conversation. 

"  I  cannot  understand  anybody  making  such  a  fuss 
over  a  washing-dress  !  "  answered  Frieda.  "  And  then 
to  go  to  Kroll's  in  such  a  get-up ;  I  think  it's  simply 
vulgar ! " 

"  There  is  not  one  word  about  Kroll  in  the  story !  " 

"  Where  else  could  they  have  gone  to  ? " 

"  We  will  continue.  Betti,  you  take  the  magazine. 
Fraulein  Schulz  will  listen.  I  really  should  prefer 
reading  myself,  but  then,  you  know,  my  breath.  Now, 
mind,  with  expression  and  impressively,  Betti." 


150  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

Betti  read  on  : 

"  A  number  of  years  have  gone  by.  The  baby  shoes 
had  wandered  off  to  the  old-clothesman  long  since, 
the  white  dress  at  last  was  turned  into  dusters,  which, 
if  they  are  lucky,  will  celebrate  their  resurrection  in  a 
paper-mill.  But  the  child  had  blossomed  into  a  lovely 
young  woman  ;  the  bud  had  fulfilled  its  early  promise. 

"The  father  knew  what  a  dangerous  gift  of  fate 
beauty  is  when  it  is  not  closely  hedged  in  by  rank  and 
riches,  and  so  he  watched  over  his  daughter's  move- 
ments with  Argus  eyes,  to  the  great  grief  of  her  mo- 
ther, who  would  have  liked  to  dazzle  people  with  her 
child. 

"  Offers  were  made  to  the  daughter  to  act  as  lady- 
cashier  in  certain  fashionable  establishments,  and  remu- 
neration for  her  services  was  offered,  which  was  well 
calculated  to  keep  care  for  their  daily  bread  far  from 
the  family — that  care  for  a  sufficient  competency  which 
increased  with  the  years,  in  proportion  as  their  de- 
mands upon  life  became  larger  with  the  child's  increas- 
ing growth.  It  was  impossible  to  hold  aloof  from 
everything,  to  bury  oneself  completely  in  one's  house- 
hold ;  it  was  due  both  to  the  girl  and  themselves  to 
take  part  in  such-and-such  pleasures,  nor  would  it  be 
seemly  that  there  should  be  a  semblance  of  poverty. 
What  would  people  think  of  that?  Nor  was  every 
kind  of  intercourse  advisable,  unless  one  intended 
giving  up  the  hope  of  the  girl's  making  a  good  match. 

"So  cares  accumulated,  and  the  more  they  made 
themselves  at  home,  the  less  was  seen  of  Contentment, 
which  ended  by  only  paying  a  very  occasional  visit, 
though  formerly  it  had  been  one  of  the  family. 

"  Admirers  were  not  wanting  for  the  daughter,  but 
poverty  was  in  close  proximity  to  beauty,  and  all  look- 
ed askance  at  such  a  bride,  with  the  exception  of  one 


Winter  Evenings.  151 

who  was  not  frightened  by  it,  as  he  himself  enjoyed 
its  most  intimate  acquaintance.  He  was  not  able  to 
offer  the  girl  a  brilliant  destiny,  but  he  was  rich,  im- 
measurably rich  in  love  for  her.  He  was  too  little  of 
a  philosopher  to  be  able  to  embody  even  suggestively 
an  idea  of  happiness,  but  he  felt  in  the  depths  of  his 
inner  consciousness  that  something  grand,  splendid, 
unutterably  beautiful  must  exist  in  the  world,  about 
which  he  never  could  become  quite  clear,  although  he 
had  a  distinct  presentiment  of  it,  and  indeed  almost 
believed  it  within  his  grasp,  whenever  his  thoughts 
were  busy  with  the  lovely  girl,  whenever  he  lingered 
beside  her. 

"  He  had  not  told  her  yet,  how  dearly  he  loved  her, 
how  he  would  brave  the  greatest  difficulties  for  her 
sake,  would  strain  his  powers  to  the  very  uttermost 
for  her,  for  the  labour  of  iiis  hands  was  all  that  he  yet 
possessed.  That  was  what  he  had  to  offer  her  beside 
his  love  ;  he  lacked  only  words  to  give  expression  to 
his  honest  thoughts. 

"  Matilda  would  have  been  wanting  in  the  instincts 
of  a  woman  had  the  love  which  was  glowing  for  her 
in  the  young  man's  heart  escaped  her  notice  ;  she  felt 
the  warming  breath  of  its  glow,  she  saw  it  shining 
forth  from  his  eyes,  and  felt  its  reflexion  burning  on 
her  own  cheeks  ;  it  seemed  to  her  as  if  a  marvellous 
life  streamed  out  from  him,  which  made  her  heart  beat 
more  quickly,  and  yet  she  behaved  as  if  he  were  in- 
different to  her,  like  all  the  others.  He  was  not  what 
people  call  a  good  match.  Ah,  had  she  been  willing 
to  share  want  and  misery  with  him,  she  would  have 
told  him  that  she  cared  more  for  him  than  for  any  one 
else  on  earth  ;  but  it  so  happened  that  she  had  had 
her  waking  dreams  of  silks  and  satins,  of  precious 
stones  and  glittering  jewelry,  and  having  lived  herself 


152  Frau   Wilhchnine.  l3  ' 

into  this  dream  as  completely  as  if  it  had  been  the 
reality,  she  was  unable  to  give  it  up.  So  she  discour- 
aged the  young  man's  courtship,  and  paid  no  heed  to 
reality,  but  let  her  imagination  paint  the  future  with 
the  most  brilliant  colouring. 

"  One  colour  alone  was  wanting  on  her  palette — that 
of  love.  Her  wishes  were  to  have  their  fulfilment,  her 
mother  cared  for  that.  She  knew  that  her  daughter 
was  beautiful,  very  beautiful ;  she  had  known  in- 
stances which  demonstrated  clearly  that  ybuth  and 
beauty  had  arrived  at  fortune  more  than  once.  And 
if  this  had  happened  to  others,  it  might  well  come  to 
pass  that  a  rich  man  would  be  caught  by  her  daugh- 
ter ;  then  matters  would  mend  for  all  of  them. 

"  First  and  foremost,  the  theatres  must  be  visited, 
in  order  that  her  daughter  might  be  seen  ;  her  fortune 
was  not  to  be  found  in  the  simple  circles  of  her  own 
rank  ;  so  much  experience  had  taught  her.  Time  was 
passing,  for  she  had  completed  her  twentieth  year. 
Economy  was  practised  in  the  household,  many  little 
pleasures  of  life  were  given  up,  the  necessities  of  the 
table  could  be  still  further  reduced ;  the  father  was 
obliged  to  submit :  he  always  had  two  votes  against 
him. 

"  The  only  time  that  the  two  women  dared  not 
venture  on  one  word  in  reply  was  when  he  threatened 
them  :  '  Should  my  daughter  return  to  her  home  one 
day  a  dishonoured  woman,  we  part  company,' 

"  That  was  one  reason  that  gained  for  Matilda  the 
repute  of  being  as  cold  as  she  was  beautiful.  People 
told  each  other  that  marriage  was  the  only  means  of 
modifying  her  ideas,  and  could  tell  laughable  stories 
of  what  had  happened  even  to  so-called  irresistibles 
who  had  endeavoured  to  win  the  favour  of  this  prud- 
ish young  lady,  and  been  repulsed  with  sc  j''n.     The 


^^!^s^^s^!'>!^^^fS^r- 


Winter  Evenings  153 

second  reason,  however,  was  the  young  man  of  whom 
Matilda  knew  that  he  really  and  truly  loved  her.  Had 
one  of  the  many  who  surrounded  her,  resembled  him 
even  to  some  extent,  she  would  have  given  credence 
to  his  promises. 

"  When  a  man  came  at  last,  who  asked  her  to  be  his 
wife,  she  shuddered  at  him  mentally  ;  but  she  had  not 
the  courage  to  say  '  No,'  for  he  wooed  her  with  glit- 
tering gold,  with  jewelry  and  pearls,  with  everything 
that  her  ardent  wishes  had  been  longing  for  so  long 
in  vain. 

**  He  was  a  man  upon  whose  features  a  dissolute 
rife  had  left  its  traces,  whose  lips  could  only  smile 
in  scorn,  whose  glances  made  her  cheek  burn  when 
they  rested  covetously  upon  her.  She  did  not  know 
that  good  society  shunned  him  as  it  would  a  leper, 
that  he  would  not  have  dared  to  ask  for  the  hand  of  a 
daughter  of  a  house  that  cared  for  its  reputation  ;  she 
knew  nothing  of  his  past,  nor  of  his  present  life.  She 
did  not  know  that  he  had  wagered  high  that  success 
would  crown  his  efforts  to  possess  her,  and  she  gave 
her  promise  to  belong  body  and  soul  to  the  man  of 
whom  she  felt  a  secret  dread. 

"  So  the  goal  was  reached,  so  the  dream  that  she 
had  dreamt  in  her  childhood  received  its  fulfilment. 

"  Once  again  there  was  a  white  dress  adorning  her, 
for  her  wedding  day ;  but  this  time  it  was  a  dress  of 
heavy  white  silk.  Diamonds  glittered  at  her  throat, 
myrtle  and  orange-blossom  perfumed  the  wavy  golden 
hair.  How  lovely  she  was,  and  how  little  the  man  at 
her  side  resembled  her  ;  the  man  whose  touch  she 
could  not  avoid,  for  she  was  his — had  been  bought  by 
him  with  gaudy  tinsel ! 

"  And  again  she  stood  before  a  glass,  as  on  her  tenth 
birthday,  again  in  a  white  dress.     She  thought  of  that 


154  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

day,  and  wished  that  it  had  never  dawned  for  her. 
How  she  then  had  envied  those  fashionably-dressed 
ladies,  who  strolled  about  the  Park  illuminated  as 
with  the  brightness  of  day  !  Now  she  was  more  beau- 
tifully dressed  than  any  one  of  them,  but  she  had  be- 
come the  wife  of  a  man  without  love,  without  even  a 
touch  of  love.  She  had  waved  happiness  from  her 
when  it  was  being  borne  towards  her ;  she  would  have 
been  happy  with  the  man  who  could  find  no  words  to 
tell  her  how  dear  she  was  to  him,  and  so  hot,  heavy 
tears  fell  upon  the  white  dress,  now  that  it  was  too 
late — for  ever." 

"Well,  Frieda,"  I  asked  curiously,  "what  is  your 
opinion  about  it  ?  " 

"  If  one  does  not  know  the  people,  what  can  one  pos- 
sibly care  about  the  whole  story  ?"  she  said,  with  utter 
lack  of  sympathy. 

I  looked  at  Betti,  Betti  looked  at  me.  It  seemed  as 
if  we  were  both  ready  to  say  the  same  words  ; 

"  Poor  Max  !  "  V 


AMONGST  OURSELVES. 

Why  ashes  are  scattered  and  fruit  is  refused — Why  Wilhelmine 
would  like  to  bewitch,  and  why  longing  is  voiceless — Why  Wil- 
helmine is  a  pattern,  and  Herr  Kleines  like  a  flash  of  lightning. 

If  a  person  has  married  her  daughter,  she  has  got 
rid  of  her.  This  eternal  truth  permits  itself  neither 
to  be  shaken  nor  moved,  for  it  agrees  with  what  has 
happened  to  me,  although  my  eldest  daughter  is  still 
on  the  way  to  the  hymeneal  altar. 

Some  weeks  ago  I  said  to  my  Carl,  "How  about  the 


.\-=T^'-«:^'^-'-^T:^yv^^^  < 


Amongst  Ourselves.  155 

coming  Christmas  ?  " — "  What  do  you  mean,  Wilhel- 
mine  ? " — "  I  am  racking  my  brains  as  to  where  it  ought 
to  be  kept,"  I  made  answer,  and  looked  at  my  Carl 
while  doing  so,  as  if  I  did  not  comprehend  him.  So 
he  dutifully  brought  his  powers  of  reflection  into 
action,  but  a  considerable  space  of  time  was  required 
before  the  needful  Edison  light  began  to  burn,  and  he 
arrived  at  the  result,  "  It  will  be  difficult  to  manage, 
Wilhelmine." 

It  was  of  course  clear  that  Em  mi  and  the  Doctor  in- 
tended having  a  tree  at  home  for  the  twins,  and  would 
have  no  thought  for  the  Landsberger-strasse.  Then 
there  was  nothing  positive  inscribed  in  the  records  of 
the  future,  as  to  whether  we  could  reckon  certainly 
on  seeing  Uncle  Fritz  at  our  house,  for  he  is  not  to  be 
calculated  upon,  when  it  is  a  question  of  submitting 
to  the  reasonable  arrangements  of  other  folk. 

Ida  spent  Christmas  week  in  Zehlendorf,  and  took 
Frieda  with  her.  Although  B'rieda  and  Ida  were  not 
especially  devoted  to  each  other,  still  Frieda  accepted 
the  invitation  thankfully,  probably  in  order  not  to  be 
forced  to  say  that  she  certainly  had  a  father's  house, 
but  no  father  with  whom  she  could  celebrate  the  fes- 
tivities ;  that  she  had  no  trace  of  kindly  feeling  to- 
wards his  present  wife,  who  never  should  have  been 
allowed  to  cross  the  threshold  over  which  her  mother 
had  once  been  carried  forth.  It  must  be  hard  to  have 
to  fly  from  a  father's  heart  at  Christmastide,  because 
he  has  disposed  of  it  unworthily. 

On  the  other  hand,  Betti  and  Felix  were  to  be  de- 
pended upon  ;  but  surely  it  would  be  impossible  to 
celebrate  a  family  festival  in  the  absence  of  half  of  the 
family. 

While  my  Carl  was  still  busy  thinking  matters  over, 
I  asked  him  sharply  :  "  Is  that  all  you  were  taught  in 


156  Frau  Wilhelmine. 


the  night-school?"  whereupon  he  brought  forward 
quite  a  novel  idea,  expressing  himself  to  the  effect  that 
we  might  all  go  to  the  Doctor's,  and  lock  up  our  own 
house. 

"  Carl,"  I  said,  "  there  shall  be  a  Christmas-tree  at 
home  here  so  long  as  I  live,  even  though  I  may  have 
to  sit  alone  in  front  of  it  and  water  the  gingerbread 
with  my  tears,  because  of  the  world's  ingratitude." — 
"  Wilhelmine,  you  exaggerate." — "  How  ?  That  is  news 
to  me." — "  You  are  irritated  without  reason." — "  With- 
out reason?"  I  inquired  sharply.  "Do  you  wish  our 
daughters  to  become  complete  strangers  to  us  ?  If  I 
am  not  to  be  allowed  to  have  my  children  with  me  on 
Christmas-eve,  if  I  am  to  be  tolerated  like  a  stranger 
on  such  a  day  at  my  son-in-law's,  you  had  better  kill 
me  off  at  once  and  cremate  me,  greatly  as  I  usually 
object  to  the  process,  and  scatter  my  miserable  ashes 
to  the  four  corners  of  the  world.  What  good  can  I 
be  to  anybody  ?" — "  Wilhelmine,  to  say  too  much  is  to 
say  nothing  at  all." — "  Really  !  " — "  Now  please,  do  not 
make  me  angry." — "  As  soon  as  Betti  is  once  married, 
we  can  take  up  our  abode  in  the  streets  on  Christmas- 
eve." 

I  had  long  since  given  up  having  the  control  of  my 
children.  Had  I  not  given  my  daughters  to  the  men 
they  loved,  and  renounced  therewith  the  holiest  rights  ? 
Had  I  not  reconciled  myself  to  the  fact  that  the  greater 
portion  of  their  love  was  given  to  a  man  unconnected 
with  myself,  and  that  only  the  smaller  share  remained 
for  me — a  sort  of  habitual  love  ?  Had  I  made  this 
sacrifice,  or  had  I  not  ?     I  had  done  so. 

But  now  came  the  test — Christmas-eve.  Ought  they 
not  all  to  have  said,  "  Mamma,  we  can  only  spend  it 
with  you  ;  our  home  is  with  you  ;  our  love  for  you  is 
the  same  as  of  old  "  ?     And  Uncle  Fritz,  too,  ought  he 


m'^- 


Amongst  Ourselves.  IC/ 

not  also  to  have  said,  "  Wilhelmine,  I  never  could  at 
any  time — with  the  exception  of  the  campaign — have 
any  other  thought  but  of  passing  this  holy  evening 
with  you  "  ?  And  yet  what  hesitating,  vacillating  an- 
swers he  gave  when  I  begged  him  to  come  to  us  with 
Erica — "  I  don't  know  whether  it  can  be  arranged," 
he  said.  "  Erica  has  promised  to  run  down  to  Lingen 
for  Christmas." — "  And  of  course  you  go  with  her  ?  " 
I  exclaimed. — "  Probably,"  he  answered,  "  you  know 
that  divided  pain  is  doubled  joy  !  " 

"  That  is  what  comes  of  taking  a  foreigner  to  wife," 
I  thought  to  myself.  As  he  is  so  set  against  her  rela- 
tions, he  certainly  cannot  calculate  upon  the  popular 
diversions  being  pleasing  to  both  parties.  However, 
there  is  many  a  one  who  partakes  during  the  honey- 
moon of  dishes  that  have  been  most  abominably  burnt, 
and  swears  that  they  give  him  a  foretaste  of  Paradise, 
until  at  last,  having  had  enough  of  such  bills  of  fare, 
he  satisfies  his  hunger  first  with  something  eatable  at 
a  restaurant,  which  naturally  creates  dissension.  Per- 
haps that  is  the  reason  why  Uncle  Fritz  lets  himself 
be  gently  inveigled  into  going  to  Lingen  this  year ; 
but  next  year,  on  the  contrary,  he  will  distinctly  de- 
cline the  apple,  by  which  I  mean  to  signify  the  grand- 
mother, whom  I  consider  to  be  a  veritable  poisonous 
morsel — a  simple  mass  of  unwholesomeness. 

Nor  could  Uncle  Fritz  himself  deny  this,  for  when- 
ever, during  the  early  days  of  his  married  life,  he  used 
to  get  home  a  little  late  from  his  musical  union,  "  The 
Whooping  Cough,"  Erica  always  provided  bilberry 
soup,  or  apple-sauce  and  biscuit,  and  such-like  messes 
for  dinner  the  next  day,  for  all  of  which  Uncle  Fritz 
cherishes  a  deeply-rooted  contempt. 

Finally  and  at  last  his  patience  gave  way,  and-  he 
asked  how  it  was  that  he  could  always  calculate  on 


158  Fraii   Wiihclntine. 

her  worrying  him  with  fruit  soups  after  he  had  been 
visiting  his  friends  ?  Did  she  mean  it  as  a  kind  of 
joke  ?  On  hearing  this,  she  was  extremely  upset,  and  had 
then  said  that  she  did  not  understand  him  at  all.  Her 
grandmother  had  bid  her  lay  specially  to  heart,  that 
thin  sweet  soups  for  dinner  on  the  following  day  were 
the  best  remedy  for  men  who  were  irregular  in  coming 
home  ;  there  was  nothing  wholesomer  in  the  world. 

"  She  is  a  dear  old  lady,  your  grandmother,"  Uncle 
Fritz  had  answered  to  this  explanation  :  and  when 
Erica  discovered  that  the  invalid  diet  was  nothing  but 
disguised  malice,  she  asked  his  forgiveness  over  and 
over  again — a  boon  he  willingly  granted  her.  For  as 
soon  as  ever  she  lifts  her  big  blue  eyes  imploringly  to 
his,  there  is  nothing  he  can  refuse  her.  My  penetra- 
tion is  absolutely  at  fault  as  to  what  the  reason  for 
this  may  be  ;  were  it  not  uncultured,  I  should  believe 
that  she  had  bewitched  him.  But  wherewith  and  how 
can  that  be  done  ? 

And  so  if  he  really  did  intend  going  to  Lingen,  it 
could  only  be  because  Erica  had  summoned  the  magic 
charm  of  her  blue  eyes  to  her  aid,  or  else  because  he 
had  a  crow  to  pluck  with  the  grandmother.  This  lat- 
ter might  certainly  be  worth  the  fare. 

As  my  Carl  did  not  develop  an  inventive  faculty,  I 
said,  *'  If  my  own  belongings  do  not  choose  to  come,  I 
shall  invite  strangers.  Herr  Max  is  unfortunately  away 
travelling,  but  Herr  Kleines  is  sure  to  like  to  come." — 
"  Will  you  not  invite  Herr  Pfeiffer  too  ?  "— "  I'll  do 
that  also.  If  the  others  choose  to  keep  themselves  to 
themselves,  I  will  show  them  that  we  can  remain  by 
ourselves."  Herewith  matters  were  settled  for  the 
time  being. 

My  invitations  were  accepted,  thereby  enabling  me 
to  carry  my  point. 


Amongst  Ourselves.  159 

And  so  the  twenty-fourth  of  December  approached. 
We  had  doubtful  weather  on  that  day,  which  accorded 
well  with  my  frame  of  mind.  I  did  not  feel  at  all  in  a 
festal  spirit,  for  I  could  not  disguise  the  fact  from  my- 
self that  the  wisest  course  might  have  been  to  transfer 
the  common  festivities  to  the  Doctor's  house,  but  then 
what  would  it  have  looked  like  to  back  out  of  one's 
invitations  ? 

When  twilight  came  I  could  stay  at  home  no  longer  ; 
I  felt  I  must  be  on  the  spot  while  Emmi  was  giving 
her  presents. 

Franz  and  Fritz,  the  twins,  were  too  sweet — fit  for 
preserves,  as  Amanda  is  always  saying — and  even  if 
they  have  not  attained  to  a  high  degree  of  intelligence 
so  far,  still  they  did  notice  that  this  evening  was  some- 
thing out  of  the  common,  especially  Fritz,  who  alto- 
gether takes  more  after  the  Buchholzes  and  has  superi- 
or mental  powers.  He  looked  at  the  fir-tree  with  a 
thoughtfulness  and  feeling  that  could  hardly  have 
been  expected  at  his  age,  while  Franz  displayed  a 
stronger  inclination  for  the  toys,  and  more  especially 
for  the  eatables.  Everything  that  they  got  was  in 
duplicate,  and  that  looked  extremely  pretty ;  the  little 
shoes,  the  wee  stockings,  the  tiny  Sunday  hats  and 
dresses,  it  was  all  quite  charming,  and  so  practical — 
even  the  playthings  were  mostly  unbreakable.  Grand- 
mamma Buchholz  contributed  two  money-boxes,  ele- 
gantly varnished  and  bearing  their  respective  names. 
My  Carl  had  taken  care  that  they  should  rattle  when 
shaken,  and  this  gave  the  Doctor  special  gratification. 
He  said  that  civilised  humanity  could  not  begin  to 
save  too  early. 

However,  we  had  to  leave,  in  order  to  fulfil  the  du- 
ties that  we  had  taken  upon  ourselves.  On  our  way 
home  m)'  Carl  said  :  "  How  nice  it  was  there  !     Don't 


l6o  Frau   Wilhelmine. 


you  repent  of  your  obstinacy  ?    Can  you  women  never 
get  hold  of  the  fact  that  you  are  not  infallible  ? " 

"  One  can  understand  it  well  enough,"  I  answered, 
repelling  this  defamation  of  our  entire  sex  ;  "  but " 

"But?" 

"  One  does  not  always  want  to  understand  it.  But 
please  do  not  talk  about  subjects  that  do  not  concern 
you." 

Betti  and  Felix  were  waiting  for  us  when  we  got  back 
home.  We  gossiped  for  a  little,  and  after  Herr  Kleines 
and  Herr  Pfeiffer  had  made  their  appearance,  the  tree 
was  lighted  up.  Every  one  ceased  speaking  when  it 
was  alight,  and  a  solemn  silence  filled  the  room.  For 
there  were  no  merry  children  about  us,  and  the  grown- 
up people  who  stood  round  the  tree  may  well  have 
wished  themselves  back  again  in  the  days  whose 
pleasures  were  pure  as  heaven's  light.  And  longing  is 
voiceless. 

The  mutual  presents  that  were  being  given  first  re 
stored  conversation.  The  two  gentlemen  expressed 
their  thanks  for  being  allowed  to  keep  their  Christmas« 
eve  in  a  family  circle,  in  the  doing  of  which  Herr 
Pfeiffer  reached  the  lowest  depths  of  his  voice,  and 
Herr  Kleines  was  not  wanting  in  politeness.  How- 
ever,  his  hungry  appearance  warned  me  that  it  was 
time  to  adjourn  to  dinner.  Just  as  I  was  on  the  point 
of  issuing  an  invitation  to  this  effect,  unexpected  visit- 
ors came  in,  and  who  should  they  be  but  Uncle  Fritz 
and  Erica. 

"Good  gracious!"!  exclaimed,  "are  you  not  at 
Lingen  ?  " 

"  As  you  see,  we  are  not,"  replied  Uncle  Fritz.  "  But 
if  our  coming  is  inopportune,  just  say  so,  and  we  will 
go  back  again,  re-light  our  tree,  and  remain  at  home." 
— "  I  like  that  !     Why,  this  is  grand  !     You  could  not 


Amongst  Ourselves.  16 1 

have  designed  a  more  delightful  surprise  for  us.  Just 
think,  what  would  a  Christmas  without  you  have  been 
like  for  me  ? " 

I  took  him  aside  :  "  Did  your  wife  reconcile  herself 
easily  to  not  going  to  her  own  people  ? " — "  Capitally," 
he  answered. — "  Did  she  see  the  wisdom  of  it  at  once  ? " 
— "  At  once." — "  But  how  was  it  possible  ? " — "  I  got 
Dr.  Wrenzchen  to  prohibit  the  journey  as  being  bad 
for  her  health." 

I  looked  at  him  questioningly  ;  he  nodded  with  a 
smile.  "Fritz,"  I  exclaimed,  "you  have  only  been 
married  for  such  a  short  time,  and  yet  you  behave 
quite  astonishingly  like  a  husband  !  Where  did  you 
learn  to  do  it  ? " 

"  It  is  a  special  gift,"  he  answered.  "  Besides,  I  have 
taken  you  and  your  Carl  as  a  pattern." 

I  was  on  the  point  of  paying  him  back  for  this  sally, 
but  the  door  opened,  and  the  Doctor  and  Emmi,  ac- 
companied by  Dr.  Paber,  came  in  at  the  same  moment. 
This  so  overpowered  me  that  I  was  unable  to  say 
a  single  word.  Now  all  of  them  were  there  together. 
Affection  had  led  them  hither.  I  had  only  persuaded 
myself  that  its  extinction  was  imminent,  that  the  new 
home  caused  the  old  one  to  be  forgotten,  as  well  as 
ourselves  who  had  remained  behind  in  it. 

When  I  had  managed  to  collect  my  thoughts,  J 
said  :  "  Children,  it  is  really  delightful  to  have  you  all 
assembled  here.  But  whether  I  shall  be  able  to  make 
the  carp  go  round,  is  quite  another  question.  If  the 
fishmongers  are  closed,  we  must  fill  up  the  interstices 
with  sandwiches." 

Herr  Kleines  hopped  up  to  me,  in  a  series  of  com- 
ical skips,  and  said  :  "  There  is  nothing  easier  than 
that.  How  much  ? " — I  appraised  their  capabilities  : 
"  The  Doctor  can  play  a  good  knife  and  fork,  Uncle 


1 62  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

Fritz  does  not  require  much  pressing,  Dr.  Paber  must 
not  be  put  on  short  commons — from  six  to  eight 
pounds."  I  had  scarcely  said  how  much  more  we 
should  want  before  Herr  Kleines  exclaimed  :  "  I  will 
get  it !  "  and  hurried  out  of  the  room.  There  was  no 
means  of  holding  him  back.  He  had  shot  down-stairs 
like  a  flash  of  greased  lightning,  so  that  I  barely  had 
time  to  call  after  him,  "  Be  sure  that  they  have  hard 
roes !  " 

Repentant  sinners  are  zealous  in  rendering  services, 
in  order  to  be  taken  into  favour  again.  But  for  all 
that,  he  is  only  to  be  invited  to  large  parties — his 
manners  are  too  familiar  for  smaller  ones. 

Herr  Kleines  arrived  after  an  interval  with  the  carp. 
He  had  driven  into  town  in  a  first-class  fly,  and  sure 
enough  had  hit  upon  a  fishmonger  who  was  still  open. 
Of  course  they  had  persuaded  him  into  taking  soft 
roes.  But  that  is  what  always  happens  when  gentle- 
men make  purchases,  only  they  decline  to  see  it. 

However,  it  was  no  matter,  for  there  was  suffi- 
cient hard  roe  in  the  first  portion  which  had  been  pre- 
pared for  the  gentlemen  to  have  enough  ;  we  ladies 
declined  it,  except  for  just  a  little  taste. 

I  have  seldom  seen  people  enjoy  their  supper  more 
than  our  guests  did  this  evening,  for  in  the  meantime 
it  had  got  very  late  ;  fortunately,  we  all  had  abun- 
dance. And  why  should  they  not  have  liked  it  ?  All 
of  us  merry  folk  were  intimate  ;  we  were  all  either  re- 
lations or  friends  ;  and  the  tapers  of  the  Christmas- 
tree  shed  a  gentle  glow,  like  messengers  of  peace 
from  the  days  when  none  of  us  knew  what  parting 
meant. 


A  Ball-room  Chaperone.  163 


A   BALL-ROOM   CHAPERONE. 

Why  Berlin  requires  robustness,  and  what  is  a  sufficiency  for  a 
junior  class — Why  the  table  rang  again,  and  the  father  remained 
in  leading-strings — Why  oratorios  are  run  off  the  reel,  and 
money  does  not  give  happiness — Why  Carl  coughs,  and  ball- 
room partners  are  looked  up — Why  war  is  engendered  and  Idiss 
has  to  go  to  bed  again — The  higher  arts  of  cookery  and  cheer- 
fulness—About truth  being  inculcated,  and  lumps  of  sugar — 
Why  Wilhelmine  is  not  a  murderess  and  Idiss  looks  like 
whipped  cream — About  national  songs  and  turtle-doves — Why 
Betti  is  jealous  and  Idiss's  market  value  increases. 

Whenever  I  visit  Erica,  she  receives  me  with  sucn 
a  courteous  grace,  that  I  feel  quite  cosy  and  comfort- 
able directly  ;  and  now  that  her  establishment  has 
been  completed,  and  the  last  things  got  according  to 
her  liking,  her  home  is  just  like  herself. 

How  pretty  she  has  made  it  look,  with  her  flower- 
stands  and  a  large  fan-palm,  which  together  form  an 
arbour  in  the  room  !  There  are  comfortable  little 
arm-chairs  in  it,  and  a  tiny  rustic  table  with  slanting 
legs,  which  makes  one  fancy  that  it  is  a  corner  for  the 
dolls,  but  we  grown-up  folk  establish  ourselves  be- 
neath the  broad  leaves,  and  feel  ourselves  freer  from 
constraint. 

She  attends  to  the  plants  herself,  and  they  give  back 
their  verdure  in  gratitude. 

And  how  charming  she  looks  in  her  garden,  as  she 
calls  the  corner  !  She  always  wears  light  colours,  al- 
though she  is  fair,  but  her  delicate  complexion  seems 
to  throw  the  fragile  materials  into  the  shade,  which, 
as  Uncle  Fritz  says,  are  just  barely  good  enough  for 
her.  Were  he  a  Croesus,  or  any  other  banker  on  a 
large  scale,  I  think  he  would  complain  at  not  being 
able  to  get  something  dearer  than  the  manufactories 


164  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

ever  produce.    But  she  thinks  everything  too  good  for 
herself. 

She  does  not  care  for  jewelry.  A  ribbon,  a  bow,  a 
flower  is  sufficient  adornment  for  her  ;  she  under- 
stands arranging  these  simple  adjuncts  in  exquisite 
taste,  though  it  may  be  quite  different  from  the  fash- 
ion. However,  when  she  goes  out,  being  just  as  much 
in  the  fashion  as  the  rest  of  humanity,  in  order  not  to 
attract  notice  by  her  divergence  from  prevailing  cus- 
toms, she  only  makes  a  fleeting  impression,  and  her 
manner  becomes  timid  and  constrained.  This  is  why 
Uncle  Fritz  calls  her  his  "  Edelweiss,"  which  displays 
itself  most  charmingly  in  undisturbed  solitude, 

I  admit  that  Berlin  requires  more  robustness,  more 
strength  and  power,  but  Uncle  Fritz  has  enough  of 
those  qualities  for  both. 

Erica  thinks  a  good  deal  of  me.  I  can  see  that 
quite  well ;  even  in  the  small  matter  of  pouring  out 
coffee  for  me,  she  does  it  with  so  much  care  that  there 
should  neither  be  too  little,  nor  too  much  to  slop  over 
into  the  saucer,  but  just  what  makes  it  look  most  in- 
viting. And  this  is  one  of  Nature's  ancient  truths  : 
"As  it's  offered,  so  it  tastes." 

When  taking  her  altogether,  her  conversation  and 
her  opinions,  one  gradually  becomes  conscious  that 
she  has  barely  a  conception  of  what  we  understand  by 
hatred  ;  she  retires  like  a  snail  whose  feelers  have  been 
trodden  upon  ;  one  feels  that  she  could  suffer  dumbly, 
but  as  to  showing  any  one  a  trace  of  unkindness,  she 
simply  could  not  do  it. 

And  who  is  there  that  would  hurt  her  ? 

And  if  any  one  tried  it — 'ware  Uncle  Fritz  !  The 
other  day,  when  we  were  sitting  in  the  palm-garden, 
that  is  to  say  Erica  and  I,  gossiping,  Uncle  Fritz  came 
in  rather  unexpectedly,  for  it  was  just  during  business 


A  Ball-room  Chaperone.  165 

hours,  and  he  had  a  big  envelope  in  his  hand,  which 
he  held  aloft  in  triumph. 

"  If  you  feel  inclined  for  it,"  he  exclaimed,  "  we  will 
go  to  a  ball  given  by  the  United  Singing  Clubs.  Here 
is  the  invitation.  It  will  be  a  capital  affair.  Good- 
day,  dear  Wilhelm  !  How  are  matters  progressing  in 
the  penal  settlement  ?  Is  my  brother-in-law  still  alive  ? " 

He  sat  down  beside  us,  and  placed  the  invitation 
card,  which  was  printed  in  gold,  on  the  rustic  table. 
"  Well,  what  makes  you  so  dull  and  stupid  ?  " 

"  Well-bred  folk  never  answer  impertinent  ques- 
tions," I  retorted  severely. 

"And  you  are  not  pleased  about  it,  Erica?"  he 
turned  to  his  wife. 

Now  for  the  first  time  I  followed  his  glances,  which 
rested  in  consternation  on  Erica.  She  was  silent,  but 
her  features  expressed  timidity  and  fear.  I  had  never 
seen  her  look  so  strange. 

"  Are  you  not  well  ? "  he  asked  anxiously,  and  with 
one  push  of  his  chair  he  was  close  beside  her ;  he 
drew  her  head  to  his  breast  and  kissed  her  forehead. 
"  Erica !  " 

She  smiled  again.  It  was  a  sad,  melancholy  smile 
with  which  she  recovered  from  her  torpor,  but  it  grew 
more  cheerful,  and  gradually  the  last  cloud  disappeared 
from  her  face. 

"  Forgive  me,"  she  whispered  ;  "  it  v/as  only  a  mem- 
ory that  took  hold  of  me  !  " 

"  A  ball-room  memory  ?  " 

She  nodded  assent. 

"  Gentlemen  are  sometimes  boundlessly  enterprising 
at  balls."  I  gave  Uncle  Fritz  a  key  for  his  better  com- 
prehension. 

"  I  have  never  been  at  a  ball  yet,"  said  Erica. 

"Then  how  can  you  remember " 


1 66  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

"  I  thought  that  I  had  forgotten  it,"  Erica  continued  ; 
"  but  just  now,  when  Fritz  came  in  and  asked  whether 
I  felt  inclined  to  go  to  a  ball,  it  seemed  to  me  as  if  it 
had  only  just  happened." 

"As  if  what  had  happened  ?" 

-She  glanced  towards  Fritz  for  permission. 

"What  was  it?"  he  asked,  gently  and  quietly  now. 
"  I  have  no  secrets  from  my  sister ;  she  has  been  my 
mother  confessor  since  my  youth." 

"  Well,  yes,"  I  answered  ;  "  he  was  up  to  some  mis- 
chief every  moment.  The  blows  that  he  escaped  would 
have  been  enough  for  a  respectable  junior  class.  How- 
ever, that  is  the  way  with  Berlin  boys  ;  fortunately  the 
wildest  amongst  them  are  afterwards " 

"  The  best,"  interrupted  Uncle  Fritz. 

"  We  won't  make  quite  such  a  definite  assertion." 

Erica  smiled.     "  He  is  the  best,"  she  said. 

"  Only  one  should  not  let  him  know  it,  or  he  will 
think  too  much  of  himself.  You  were  going  to  tell  us 
about  your  ball.  Had  not  the  dressmaker  sent  your 
dress  home?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  she  had  ;  even  the  new  shoes  with  the  little 
rosettes  had  been  ready  a  fortnight  before  the  evening ! 
It  was  a  children's  ball  to  which  I  was  to  be  allowed 
to  go.  My  father  had  made  me  the  promise.  He  had 
asked,  just  like  Fritz,  whether  I  was  inclined  for  it, 
and  I  was  scarcely  able  to  answer  for  joy.  I  had  never 
had  an  amusement  like  that — never  before.  My  grand- 
mother always  insisted  that  pleasures  destroyed  the 
soul,  and  that  I  was  too  naughty " 

"  You  naughty  ?  "  Fritz  burst  forth. 

"  Certainly,"  answered  Erica  naively.  "  Should  I 
have  deserved  beatings  if  I  had  not  been  ?" 

"  You  ? "  Uncle  Fritz  flew  into  a  passion,  "  They 
have  given  you May  they  be "    He  made  the 


:■'  -'^^^■-T;.-??^^  ■  ■-, 


A  Ball-room  Chaperone.  167 

little  table  ring  again  with  a  blow  from  his  clenched 
fist.  "  Go  on,"  he  said  angrily — "  go  on.  So  you  were 
to  go  to  the  ball  ? " 

"  I  was  to  be  allowed,  I  could  hardly  sleep  for  a 
whole  week  beforehand.  You  may  imagine  how  vain 
I  was.  I  put  on  the  new  shoes  secretly,  and  tied  the 
blue  bows.  How  afraid  I  was  of  crumpling  them  ! 
But  I  could  not  help  myself.  And  as  for  the  ball  itself, 
I  pictured  that  as  being  like  an  evening  sky  with  sun- 
beams and  rosy  clouds.  My  heart  began  to  beat  at  the 
mere  thought  of  it." 

**  My  sweet  wife,"  Uncle  Fritz  said,  and  kissed  her. 

"When  the  day  of  the  ball  arrived,  as  it  became 
dark,  I  was  told — *  Go  and  dress,  Erica ;  it  is  time.' 
The  servant  helped  me.  *  You  will  not  sit  out  a  single 
dance,'  the  girl  said  ;  'you  are  sure  to  be  the  prettiest 
there.'  How  is  it,  I  wonder,  that  I  have  remembered 
it  all — to  the  very  words  that  were  spoken  ?  I  opened 
the  door  of  my  room  and  went  to  the  stairs.  Biit  how 
strange  it  was ;  there  was  no  light  burning  in  the  par- 
lour down-stairs.  '  May  I  come  down  ? '  I  exclaimed. 
They  were  to  admire  me  in  my  ball  costume — father, 
grandmother,  the  little  brothers  and  sisters.  Nobody 
answered.      Once  more  I  called  out,  'May  I  come?* 

Then "   Erica  stopped,  and  the  grief  again  made  her 

eyelids  heavy,  and  threw  dark  shadows  over  her  face. 

"  And  then " 

"  First  I  believed  that  it  was  a  delusion,  and  stared 
into  the  dark  room  with  open  eyes  and  ears  ;  but  once 
again  I  distinctly  heard  my  father's  voice  saying  :  *  Go 
and  undress,  Erica  ;  you  are  not  going.'  And  while  I 
still  kept  fancying  that  it  could  not  be  true,  my  grand- 
mother exclaimed  :  *  People  must  learn  to  give  up  be- 
times. Be  careful  with  the  shoes  ;  they  have  only 
been  lent.'     Oh,  how  distinctly — how  distinctly  !  "    •  . 


"U1  *«Vif{ 


1 68  Frau   Wil/lelmine. 

Uncle  Fritz  had  compressed  his  lips — he  was  boiling 
over.  !{ndeed,  I  felt  myself  as  if  my  nails  were  grow- 
ing into  my  fingers.  Erica  saw  how  furious  her  story 
had  made  him,  and  she  added  soothingly  :  "  It  was  to 
be  a  trial ;  I  was  not  always  submissive.  l7hey  in- 
tended my  good  ;  you  must  not  be  angry  with  them, 
Fritz." 

I  had  involuntarily  drawn  further  back,  as  I  could 
not  but  expect  that  the  little  table  would  now  get  the 
remainder  of  its  punishment.  However,  there  was  no 
such  display  of  force  as  Fritz  is  capable  of  when  he  is 
excited  ;  he  only  looked  at  Erica  with  a  glance  of  un- 
speakable love.  "  Yours  is  a  heaven-given  heart,  my 
wife,"  was  all  he  said.  Then  he  clasped  her  to  him,  and 
enfolded  the  fair  head  with  his  protecting  hands. 

It  was  incomprehensible  to  me  that  the  father  should 
lend  himself  to  such  a  cruel  system  of  education  ;  but 
no  doubt  the  old  woman  intimidated  him  from  his 
early  days,  just  as  she  had  done  with  Erica.  She  had 
helped  to  scrape  together  their  little  bit  of  money,  and 
in  her  obstinate  severity  she  never  would  allow  her 
son  to  be  independent ;  he  therefore  remained  in  lead- 
ing-strings during  the  whole  of  his  life.  Fritz  had 
told  me  that  while  he  was  still  courting. 

Now,  too,  I  understand  the  charm  which  binds  him 
so  fast  to  Erica — her  soul  is  as  beautiful  as  her  face. 
As  neither  of  the  others  said  anything,  I  felt  that  it 
was  my  duty  to  fill  up  the  pause.  "  A  charming  speci- 
men of  antiquity  !  "  I  remarked. 

"Who?" 

"Why,  the  grandmother." 

Uncle  Fritz  got  up.  He  seemed  as  if  he  could  not 
get  over  what  he  had  just  heard,  and  was  endeavour- 
ing to  choke  down  his  excitement  by  marching  up  and 
down  the  room  with  clenched  hands,  a  process  which 


A  Ball-room  Chaperone.  169 

is  more  reasonable  than  wreaking  one's  anger  on 
pieces  of  furniture,  because  it  is  cheaper.  My  Carl  is 
never  vehement  towards  defenceless  objects. 

Gradually  Fritz  got  quieter.  *'  Shall  we  accept  the 
invitation  ? "  he  asked. — "  I  should  like  to  see  a  ball  for 
once,"  answered  Erica. — *'  So  you  shall.  And  you  shall 
have  rosettes  on  your  shoes  and  a  blue  bow  as  well. 
And  you,  Wilhelmine,  you  will  come  too." 

"  What  are  you  thinking  about  ?  " 

"  Air  your  *  helps  '  for  once,  or  else  they  may  get  full 
of  moths.  Young  girls  must  have  some  fun.  And 
you  yourself,  the  abbess  of  the  whole,  will  be  benefit- 
ed by  some  recreation,  or  do  you  imagine  that  the 
old  nuns  never  danced  ?  They  jumped  about  like 
good  ones,  I  can  tell  you." 

"  Fritz,  please  oblige  me  by  sparing  me  your  hyper- 
boles ;  they  have  not  the  slightest  artistic  value  in  my 
eyes.     My  Carl  must  give  his  consent  first  of  all ! " 

"That's  all  right.     So  that  point  is  settled." 

"How  so?" 

"If  you  consent,  your  Carl  will  do  the  same.  Or  do 
you  think  he  won't  ?  Wrenzchen  will  join  us,  I'll 
undertake  that.  There  will  be  singing,  and  he  is  fond 
enough  of  listening  to  it.  Just  fancy.  Erica,  three  sing- 
ing societies  have  entered  for  the  festivities  !  *  Gravity 
and  Mirth  '  head  the  list,  and  our  'Whooping  Cough' 
is  amongst  them.  Whole  oratorios  will  be  run  off  the 
reel,  and  all  sorts  of  other  rubbish.  Do  be  pleased 
about  it.  Erica !  There  are  some  splendid  voices 
among  them,  especially  baritones.    Wife,  do  be  glad  !  " 

Erica  smiled.  "It  would  be  too  charming,  if  you 
would  take  pity  on  me,  Frau  Buchholz,"  she  said. 

"Am  I  not  there?  "  exclaimed  Uncle  Fritz. 

"  You  would  surely  not  neglect  your  friends  on  my 
account  ? " 


170  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

"  You  are  right  again.  How  clever  the  child  is  ! " 
smirked  Uncle  Fritz  ;  "  and  only  in  Berlin  for  the  sec- 
ond time  !  " 

"  It  does  not  depend  upon  locality,  but  on  the  amount 
of  intelligence  with  which  one  starts,"  I  corrected  his 
silly  speechifying.  He  was  offending  Erica.  How  can 
she  help  not  having  been  born  on  the  Pariser-platz  ? 
But  my  esteemed  brother  and  consideration  !  None 
need  exist  for  his  requirements.  It  is  as  indifferent 
to  him  as  mittens  in  August.  Were  it  not  that 
one  fortunately  knows  him  from  another  point  of 
view,  he  would  keep  one  in  a  chronic  state  of  wonder- 
ment. 

While  he  was  walking  up  and  down,  he  had  got  hold 
of  a  fresh  idea.  "  Erica,"  he  said,  "  if  you  have  a  tube- 
post-card  lying  about  anywhere,  we  will  summon  the 
Doctor  hither  at  once." — "You  had  better  leave  that 
alone,"  I  warned  them,  "or  else  he  will  enter  the  visit 
to  you." — "  That  won't  hurt,  if  he  is  accurate." — "  Fritz, 
money  alone  cannot  give  happiness." — "Agreed.  But 
one  must  have  some  of  it." 

Erica  had  been  looking  for  a  tube-'^osX.-zzxA  on  her 
writing-table,  but  none  was  to  be  found  there,  as  gen- 
erally happens  when  one  is  in  a  hurry,  and  she  went 
out  to  have  one  fetched. 

When  she  had  vanished,  I  said  :  "  Fritz,  what  a 
grandmother  !  She  certainly  must  be  a  witch  of  earlier 
days  who  has  escaped  the  flames.  Is  there  no  royal 
court  of  justice  which  could  interfere  ?  " 

"  Leave  the  old  Jezebel  to  her  own  devices.  When 
I  come  to  think  it  over,  she  is  the  real  reason  of  Erica's 
becoming  my  wife." 

"  A  horror  like  that  ? " 
■  "  When  I  saw  how  the  old  woman  ruined  the  life  of 
her  family,  I  determined  positively  to  save  Erica  at 


* r.'Wi^E'^  .;. ■  * V 


A  Ball-room  Chapcrone.  \'ji 

least  from  her  clutches," — "And   so  you  took  your 
Rickchen  to  yourself." 

"  Don't  use  that  name,  please  ;  Erica  does  not  like 
it." — "  I  presume  a  diminutive  is  not  grand  enough  for 
you  ?  " — "  Her  grandmother  called  her  by  that  name." 

— "  Of  course,  then " — "  When  the  old  hag  wanted 

to  hurt  her,  she  used  to  call  in  the  gentlest  possible 
voice,  *  Rickchen  !  Rickchen  ! '  till  the  little  one  was 
close  enough  for  her  to  get  hold  of  her  gold  curls  and 
give  them  a  sound  pull." — "  I  should  have  bitten  into 
her  bony  knuckles  !  " — "  Yes,  you  would.  You  unfor- 
tunately were  never  forbidden  such  enjoyment.  At 
first  I  used  to  call  Erica  '  Rickchen  '  in  jest,  but  she 
begged  me  not  to  do  it,  and  told  me  why." — "  Fritz,  I 
am  afraid  that  the  old  wretch  has  pinched  her  and 
pushed  her  against  the  corners  of  the  table.  Just  let 
her  once  come  to  Berlin  again,  and  I  will  give  her  such 
a  talking-to  as  will  make  her  ears  tingle  even  when 
she  is  lying  in  her  coffin  !  Of  course.  Erica  must  go 
to  the  festival.  I  hope  that  I  can  answer  for  my  hus 
band." 

Uncle  Fritz  told  his  wife  that  I  was  going  to  chaper- 
one  her. — "  I  shall  be  delighted,"  said  I.  "  And  if 
Mamma  Buchholz  should  see  fit  to  pass  over  a  few 
dances,  my  clever,  intelligent  sister-in-law  will  not 
complain.     There  are  reasons  for  so  doing." 

"  Wilhelmine,  you  are  a  pearl !"  exclaimed  Uncle 
Fritz,  and  gave  me  such  an  approving  slap  of  his  hand 
that  my  shoulder-blade  quivered  again. — "  Augh,  you 
are  a  brute  !  " — "  Curious,"  he  laughed  ;  "  when  I  hit, 
it  always  hurts  the  other  person  more  than  myself  !  " — 
"You  had  better  hammer  away  at  your  tables,"  I 
scolded.  "  By  the  way,  how  many  tickets  are  you  go- 
ing to  get?" — "I  shall  take  a  dozen  straight  off,  to 
make  a  round  number." — "  At  half  price  ? " — "  We  shall 


-  j, "..■a,:w-.^:'*J.^ggi| 


172  Frau   Wilhelntine. 

see  ;  though  many  committees  decline  to  be  moved 
by  the  groans  of  numerous  heads  of  families." — "  It 
would  be  very  nice  if  one  could  save  a  trifle  ;  times 
are  so  miserably  bad." — "  So  they  are.  It  was  only 
yesterday  that  another  horse  fell  down  in  the  Fried- 
rich-strasse." 

When  Uncle  Fritz  begins  his  nonsense,  it  is  advis- 
able to  take  one's  leave.     I  therefore  did  so,  and  went. 

The  fight  with  my  husband  for  his  consent  was 
hardly  worth  speaking  about.  "What  an  expense  our 
grand  journey  to  Switzerland  would  have  been,  or  to 
the  Salzkammergut,  which  lies  a  day's  journey  further 
off,"  I  explained  to  him  ;  "  and  now  that  I  am  volun- 
tarily— Carl,  what  are  you  coughing  for?  I  accent 
*  vo-lun-ta-ri-ly ' — relinquishing  it,  the  expenses  for  the 
ball  need  hardly  be  taken  into  consideration  at  all  ! 
Besides,  we  are  taking  a  dozen  tickets,  and  will  be 
sure  to  make  a  small  profit  by  so  doing." — "  We  must 
take  them  together,"  assented  my  Carl,  like  a  good 
man  of  business  ;  and  when  I  told  him  that  our  whole 
entire  family  as  it  stood  was  to  meet  there,  he  became 
still  more  accommodating,  and  ordered  his  dress-coat 
to  be  cleaned  with  benzine,  and  ironed. 

Can  there  be  another  husband  who  is  more  consid- 
erate, merely  comparing  him  with  my  brother  ? 

Betti  was  enchanted  when  she  heard  that  we  were 
going  to  a  ball,  and  that  every  objection  had  already 
been  nipped  in  the  bud.  "  I  shall  only  dance  with 
Felix  !  "  she  exclaimed. — "  That  would  look  very  pe- 
culiar," I  answered. — "  What  need  I  care  about  that?" 
— "  If  you  don't,  I  do.     I  am  the  chaperone." 

Now  the  question  was  to  devise  ways  and  means  for 
Ida  and  Frieda.  The  dresses  were  there,  and  as  Max 
had  just  returned  from  his  last  travels,  Frieda  was 
provided  with  a  dancer.     But  where  were  we  to  get  a 


A  Ball-room  Chaperone.  173 

partner  for  that  luckless  Ida  ?  We  agreed  that  the 
three  gentlemen  must  settle  it,  for  we  could  not  ex- 
pect Dr.  Paber  to  burden  himself  with  her,  and  Kleines, 
together  with  Herr  Pfeiffer,  were  excluded.  A  ball  is 
really  not  given  for  the  purpose  of  throwing  unguard- 
ed young  girls  before  lions.  That  was  at  most  only 
the  fashion  with  the  ancients. 

Some  light  was  shed  upon  the  question  when  Felix 
promised  one  evening  to  provide  Ida  with  a  respecta- 
ble gentleman. 

I  bought  my  "  helps  "  in  the  following  manner : 
"  Young  ladies,  if  your  behaviour  during  the  next  fort- 
night'is  exemplary,  you  will  be  allowed  to  go  to  a  ball 
at  Arnim's  hotel  as  a  reward.  But  if,  on  the  contrary, 
you  give  me  occasion  for  displeasure,  nothing  will 
come  of  it.  I  shall  look  through  your  wardrobe  and  chest 
of  drawers  myself,  Ida,  and  hope  to  find  everything 
in  the  very  best  order.  Untidy  folk  stop  at  home." 
This  warning  seemed  to  make  no  impression  for  the 
moment ;  they  flew  off  like  sparrows. 

Max  was  back  again.  He  found  Frieda  changed 
for  the  better,  and  was  glad  of  it.  Yet — had  he  had 
her  about  him  for  weeks,  like  myself  ?  No.  It  is  lucky 
that  affianced  brides  do  not  always  know  what  their 
affianced  husbands  are  about;  that  they  believe  firmly 
he  is  thinking  uninterruptedly  of  them,  or  staring  un- 
ceasingly at  their  photograph  in  a  cigar-case.  And  it 
is  just  as  fortunate  that  the  reverse  holds  good  also, 
otherwise  the  business  of  marriage  would  be  prose- 
cuted with  less  energy.  Had  Max  known  that  in  the 
bottom  of  her  heart  Frieda  merely  considered  him  as 
a  friend  to  take  care  of  her,  he  would  not  have  been 
deceived  by  the  few  graces  she  has  acquired,  or  the 
small  amount  of  ill-breeding  she  has  laid  aside. 

Now,  as  formerly,  she  was  neither  hot  nor  cold,  and 


174  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

their  first  meeting  after  a  fairly  long  separation  passed 
off  as  if  he  might  have  extended  his  journey  for  a  con- 
siderably longer  time.  He,  however,  was  caught  anew 
by  her  prettiness,  and  more  devoted  to  her  than  before. 

The  preparations  were  actively  taken  in  hand.  We 
had  decided  in  favour  of  simple  white,  but  each  dress 
was  to  be  trimmed  differently,  and  the  most  tasteful 
patterns  were  sought  for  in  the  book  of  fashions.  The 
"  helps  "  behaved  fairly  according  to  my  desire  ;  a 
cessation  of  hostilities  prevailed  to  a  certain  extent, 
and  each  one  thought  her  dress  the  most  charming, 
and  far  more  beautiful  than  the  other's.  And  yet 
dissension  crept  into  the  harmony  of  the  ball  tailoring  ! 

Whoever  failed  to  see  in  Max  a  well-built  man  ought 
to  pay  an  early  visit  to  the  eye  hospital;  and  Ida,  too, 
seemed  to  be  of  this  mind.  Wherever  Herr  Max  was, 
there  she  was  fluttering  about  likewise  ;  and  she  was 
so  cat-like  and  velvety  in  her  manner  towards  him, 
that  I  was  just  about  inculcating  rules  for  her  be- 
haviour. However,  Frieda  took  charge  of  the  matter 
on  this  occasion. 

A  praiseworthy  fate  so  arranged  that  my  husband 
was  absent  when  the  skirmish  took  place. 

I  had  missed  the  beginning,  in  which  one  word  led 
on  to  another;  it  was  only  the  loud  exchange  of  speech 
in  the  next  room  that  caused  me  to  interfere. 

"  Frieda  !  Ida  !    What  a  dreadful  din  !  "  I  exclaimed 
"  What  in  the  name  of  fortune  is  the  matter  now  ?  " 

"  She  says "  screamed  Ida. — "  She  says "  ex- 
claimed Frieda  against  her. — "  She  said " — "  No, 

she  said "— "  Not  a  word  of  truth  in  it !  "— "  FrSu- 

lein  Schulz  began  it !  "— "  That  is  a  lie  !  " 

"  Ida,"  I  commanded,  "  hold  your  tongue.  If  there 
were  no  more  than  a  rabbit  against  you,  suspicion 
would  fall  upon  you.     Frieda,  hpw  was  it  ?  " 


A  Ball-room  Chaperone.  175 

"  She  has  done  nothing  but  jeer  at  me  the  whole 
afternoon " — "  Imagination  !  "  said  Ida,  interrupt- 
ing her. 

"  Fraulein  Schulz,  either  you  will  take  the  trouble 
of  retiring  to  your  room,  or  you  will  hold  your  tongue. 
What  caused  the  quarrel,  Frieda  ?  " 

"  I  don't  choose  that  an  impudent  hussy  like  that 
should  be  running  about  after  my  intended  husband." 
— "  Indeed  ?  "  asked  Ida  impertinently.  "  You  may  just 
as  well  know  that  I  cannot  get  away  from  him.  Be- 
sides, what  is  there  about  you  to  attract  him  in  the 
long  run  ?  " 

"  An  absence  of  spots,  at  least  !  "  Frieda  snubbed 
her.  "  He  amuses  himself  at  your  expense.  That  is 
all." 

Ida  gave  vent  to  a  derisive  "  Bah  !  Have  you  any 
further  grievances  ?  He  has  promised  me  three  dances, 
and  he  is  going  to  wait  for  me  in  the  '  choosing  part- 
ners.' "— "  It's  a  lie  !  "  exclaimed  Frieda.—"  Indeed  ?  " 
— "  Yes." 

"  Ida,  is  that  true  ?  "  I  asked  very  seriously. 

"  We  have  settled  it,"  she  answered  ;  "  but  he  will 
scarcely  confess  to  it  when  Fraulein  Frieda  makes 
such  a  barbarous  row." — "  Who  makes  a  row  ?  " — 
"  She  !  Who  else  does  .-'  Why,  you  have  j  ust  heard 
her !  " 

"  Fraulein  Schulz,  if  you  begin  to  plot  intrigues,  I, 
for  my  part,  cannot  take  you  with  us.  In  a  word,  your 
behaviour  is  not  the  proper  kind  for  a  ball-room.  You 
will  remain  at  home,  and  go  to  bed  early." 

Now  she  began  to  weep  and  implore.  She  asked 
me  to  forgive  her,  and  promised  improvement  on  all 
points. 

I  thought  it  was  very  nice  of  Frieda  not  to  bear 
malice  after  Ida  had  given  her  solemn  word  of  honour 


■■■4  ■:;>■■.  rjj.ifr»si==-v|5^:- 


176  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

not  to  dance  once  with  Max.  Ida  made  a  positive 
promise  about  this,  and  so  the  "  helps'  "  differences 
were  adjusted.  The  parties  were  separated  by  my 
taking  Frieda  with  me. 

"  My  love,"  I  said,  "  do  avoid  these  outbreaks.  If 
anybody  is  injured  by  them,  it  will  be  myself." 

"  I  controlled  myself  as  long  as  I  was  able.  But  she 
must  leave  my  intended  alone." 

"  Aha  !  "  I  thought  ;  "  Herr  Max  is  not  quite  so  un- 
important to  her  as  I  had  supposed.  That  may  be 
considered  as  a  good  sign — a  very  good  one  indeed. 
Only  my  having  to  pay  so  cruelly  for  it  is  not  good." 

"  Frieda,"  I  then  said  aloud,  "  please  give  me  the 
valerian  drops — they  strengthen  one  a  little,  though 
the  effect  may  not  be  lasting ;  the  bronchial  tubes 
worry  me  after  any  annoyance.  However,  when  we 
once  have  the  ball  behind  us,  I  shall  request  Frau 
Schulz  to  receive  her  Ida  back  again.  I  do  not  see 
why  I  am  to  stand  on  guard,  when  the  wide  world  is 
open  to  her." 

This  determination  Ida  strengthened  still  more,  by 
her  bad  behaviour  on  the  day  of  the  ball  itself.  Kind- 
ness was  of  just  as  much  avail  with  her  as  teaching 
puppies  to  read. 

Betti  was  still  a  little  behindhand  with  her  dress,  for 
she  had  determined  on  making  an  alteration  at  the 
last  moment,  for  which  I  did  not  blame  her,  as  she 
was  not  going  to  be  put  in  the  shade  by  the  "  helps." 
While  Betti  was  busy  with  the  di'essmaker,  we  con- 
fided the  care  of  the  dinner,  to  which  Herr  Max  had 
been  invited,  to  Frieda  and  Ida.  Frieda  was  to  take 
the  opportunity  of  giving  her  intended  a  sample  of 
her  cookery  at  the  same  time  ;  for  this  fact  remains 
true,  that  she  had  made  praiseworthy  progress  under 
Betti's  superintendence.    For  the  rest,  I  could  take  an 


A  Ball-room  Chaperone.  lyy 

occasional  look  into  the  kitchen,  and  it  is  not  very 
difficult  to  roast  beef.  Game  and  such  things  do  cer- 
tainly demand  greater  experience  in  the  very  buying 
of  them,  and  the  art  of  feeling  poultry  is  a  gift  in 
itself,  Doris  served  up  the  gravy  soup  and  Ida  the 
macaroni  stars  ;  vegetables,  potatoes,  and  compot  were 
arranged  in  the  same  way,  the  latter  consisting  of  dried 
fruit  which  had  been  stewed.  "  Be  sure  you  don't 
forget  the  cover,"  I  impressed  on  Ida,  "so  that  the 
plums  may  swell  out  properly.  My  husband  likes 
them  best  like  that." 

Why  had  I  not  had  more  foresight,  and  had  the 
dinner  fetched  from  a  restaurant,  in  portions  in  white 
porcelain  vessels  placed  one  on  the  top  of  another, 
and  fastened  together  by  leather  straps  ?  Because  one 
never  does  learn  wisdom,  nor  imagines  that  young 
girls  who  are  going  to  a  ball  in  the  evening  become 
half-witted  in  the  morning.  And  yet  it  really  must  be 
the  case. 

When  I  betake  myself  to  the  kitchen  the  "  helps  " 
certainly  are  actively  employed.     But  how  ? 

Everything  which  had  been  placed  on  the  fire  was 
boiling,  I  will  not  say  at  a  gallop — no,  rather  in  mad 
career.  Wheels  alone  were  wanting  to  the  machine, 
otherwise  it  would  have  been  a  fair  locomotive. 

"  Ladies,"  I  exclaimed,  "  I  presume  that  you  are 
practising  the  art  of  incendiarism  ? " — "  You  said 
yourself  that  the  roast  beef  must  have  a  hot  fire  to 
begin  with,"  Frieda  defended  herself. 

"  Of  course  I  did.  But  you  have  made  the  stove 
red-hot,  as  if  the  Three  Children  were  going  to  give  a 
concert  in  it !  Doris,  why  did  you  not  interfere  ? 
What  a  waste  of  coals  !  " 

"  Fraulein  Frieda  said,  such  were  Madame's  or- 
ders," answered  Doris.     "  I  don't  go  anywhere  near 


1/8  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

the  fire-place  if  the  young  ladies  have  the  chief  com- 
mand."— "  But,  Doris  !  " — "  No,  I'm  not  going  to  do  it. 
If  anything  goes  wrong,  the  cook  has  done  it ;  but  if 
it  succeeds  nicely  the  young  ladies  are  praised  up  to 
the  skies.  I  have  not  liked  being  here  for  a  good 
many  fortnights  now,  and  thank  goodness  I'm  not 
married  to  the  place  either  !  " 

Another  word  from  me  and  Doris  would  have  given 
me  warning.  That  was  a  thing  to  be  avoided  on  such 
a  day  as  this.     Otherwise,  off  she  should  have  gone. 

Punishing  Doris  by  taking  no  notice  of  her,  I  in- 
structed Frieda  to  damp  down  the  fire,  and  have  the 
baking  oven  so  far  cooled  that  the  meat  might  be  put 
into  it  with  a  quiet  conscience,  and  told  her  to  bring 
me  the  pan.  "  Oh,  Frieda,  what  an  unreasonable 
quantity  of  butter  you  have  taken  !  "  I  was  forced  to 
exclaim,  on  seeing  the  big  lump  she  had  destined  for 
the  roast.  "  It  certainly  is  true  that  good  butter  does 
not  spoil  anything,  but  it  oils  the  way  to  ends  not 
meeting,  and  easily  acquires  a  metallic  flavour." — "  I 
have  never  noticed  that,"  said  Frieda. — "  Madame  is 
thinking  of  the  groschens,"  Doris  put  in  her  word. — 
"Doris,  you  have  not  been  asked." — "Stuff!  Butter 
was  said,  and  I  was  meant !     I  know  all  about  it  ! " 

"  She  shall  learn  how  to  fly,  shortly,"  I  determined 
in  my  own  mind,  and  left  the  field. 

Now  what  may  be  the  cause  of  this  distinct  mutiny 
on  Doris's  part  ?  If  she  wants  to  go,  why  does  she 
not  approach  me  in  a  becoming  way  ?  Who  has  made 
her  rebellious  ?  She  shall  be  interrogated  to-morrow. 
There's  a  ball  to-day. 

As  Betti  could  not  leave  her  dressmaking  to  itself — 
indeed,  there  was  even  a  difficulty  about  her  being 
finished  in  time — the  pleasure  devolved  on  me  of  look- 
ing after  the  preparations  for  dinner,  and  as  I  thought 


A  Ball-roofn  Chaperone.  179 

that  it  was  about  time  to  provide  against  mischief,  I 
made  my  way  towards  the  kitchen,  where  hilarity 
and  merriment  seemed  to  prevail  as  I  approached. 
So  I  quietly  opened  the  door  in  order  to  see  what 
the  fun  was. 

It  was  Ida. 

Would  any  one  have  thought  it  possible  ?  The  god- 
less creature  had  put  on  my  singed  morning  cap,  had 
fastened  my  second-best  knitted  woollen  vest  round  her, 
and  was  acting  for  the  edification  of  the  two  others  ! 

'*  People  may  keep  house  on  a  good  deal ;  a  little 
may  also  be  made  sufficient,  ladies,"  she  said  ;  "  lay 
that  to  heart."  Then  she  walked  up  and  down  minc- 
ingly,  as  if  it  had  been  me,  only  of  course  there  was 
not  a  trace  of  likeness,  and  she  cleared  her  throat  as 
if  suffering  from  asthma,  and  she  grinned  and  danced 
and  waggled  about  with  outspread  arms  as  if  she  was 
going  to  flutter,  behaving,  generally  speaking,  as  if  she 
were  quite  crazy.  "  Doris,"  she  went  on  in  her  mim- 
icry, "  Doris  "— ^in  a  high,  piping  voice,  whereas  I  never 
speak  loud  or  shriekingly — "believes  probably  that 
butter  does  not  cost  anything ;  the  baked  pike  is  swim- 
ming in  grease  !  That  is  the  way  to  make  a  hole  in 
the  milliards.  My  husband  does  not  care  about  grease  ; 
it  does  not  suit  my  Carl.  He  likes  to  eat  them  best 
the  way  I  bake  them.     Is  that  not  so,  my  Carl  ?  " 

Doris  and  Frieda  laughed  until  the  tears  poured 
down  their  cheeks  ;  and  the  more  they  rolled  about, 
the  more  absurdly  Ida  went  on. 

Then  Doris  suddenly  became  aware  of  my  presence, 
while  I,  as  unsuspected  as  an  archangel,  looked  on 
from  the.  slips. 

"  Oh,  Lor' !  the  old  'un  !  "  she  shrieked,  flew  like  the 
wind  into  the  store-room,  and  slammed  the  door  be- 
hind her. 


"^■^wmm^' 


1 8b  Fra7i   Wilhelmine. 

Frieda  had  become  very  confused,  and  crept  shame- 
facedly to  the  kitchen  table,  where  she  occupied  her- 
self aimlessly.  Ida  quickly  tore  off  both  cap  and 
knitted  vest,  and  endeavoured  to  hide  them  behind 
her  back. 

"  How  is  the  dinner  getting  on  ? "  I  asked  with  icy 
calmness. 

I  had  not  deserved  that.  To  wound  me  in  such  a 
way  !  They  are  welcome  to  caricature  me,  for  all  I 
care.     But  my  Carl  ! — that  is  the  last  straw. 

"  Just  as  you  told  us,"  Frieda  answered  timidly. 

"  That  is  well." 

And  to  instigate  Doris  against  me  !  As  if  I  ever 
spoke  evil  of  her  behind  her  back  !  Oh,  no  ;  I  always 
impress  the  truth  straightforwardly  on  my  servants  ! 
Of  course,  now  it  was  easy  to  see  why  Doris  had  been 
finding  fault  just  before.  Ida  had  been  slanderously 
carrying  tales  ;  which  accounted  for  the  firm  friend- 
ship between  the  two. 

"  Take  care  that  the  dinner  is  served  punctually 
Frieda." 

"  Certainly." 

I  took  my  departure  without  having  so  much  as 
glanced  towards  Ida.  She  was  to  be  made  to  feel  what 
it  was  to  be  mere  vapour  for  respectable  people. 

Betti  came  to  consult  me,  because  the  dress  wrinkled 
about  the  sleeves.  When  she  heard  what  had  hap- 
pened, she  insisted  that  Frau  Schulz  should  be  written 
to,  and  that  Ida  be  allowed  to  join  her  parents. — 
"Quite  out  of  the  question,"  I  said. 

There  was  a  knock. — "  Come  in." — Ida  appeared. 

"  What  do  you  wish  for  ?  " 

"Ah,  F>au  Buchholz,  I  really  did   not  mean  to  do 
anything  wrong  ! " — "  When  ?" — "Just  now,  I  mean,"— 
"  Just  now  ? "— "  When  I— when " 


A  Ball-room  Chaperone.  i8i 

"  It  is  well  that  vou  are  here,  Fraulein  Schulz.  I 
was  just  going  to  ask  you  whether  you  had  any  mes- 
sage for  your  mother.  I  may  possibly  write  in  the 
course  of  to-day — or  with  greater  quiet  to-morrow." — 
"  No, — none  that  I  know  of." 

"  You  may  go,  Fraulein  Schulz  ;  or  did  you  wish  to 
communicate  to  me  that  you  would  prefer  not  going 
to  the  ball  ? " — "  You  surely  cannot  wish  that  ?" — "  It 
would  be  better  ;  for  every  one  can  see  at  once  that 
you  have  been  tasting  things,"  said  Betti. — "  I  touch 
nothing,"  answered  Ida. — "Who  will  believe  it?" — "I 
declare  that  I  have  not,"  Ida  asseverated. — "  Your  lips 
betray  you." 

Ida  drew  her  handkerchief  quickly  from  her  pocket 
to  hide  the  brown  ichthyol  that  she  had  smeared  on 
her  lips,  but  in  doing  so  she  tore  forth  divers  trifles  as 
well ;  baking  plums,  pieces  of  lump  sugar,  and  dried 
pears  flew  about  the  room. 

"  What  have  you  to  say  now  ? "  Betti  exclaimed. 

"  Somebody  must  have  put  them  in  my  pocket  on 
the  sly." 

"  It  could  not  possibly  have  been  otherwise  !  "  I  said. 
"  How  would  it  be  if  you  took  your  departure  now  ? 
Doris  can  lay  for  you,  if  you  would  like  dinner  in  your 
room." — She  withdrew  backwards. 

The  dinner  was  horrible  ;  I  could  just  manage  to  cut 
a  few  eatable  morsels  from  the  middle  of  the  roast  for 
my  husband  and  Herr  Max,  and  the  stewed  fruit  had 
been  turned  into  a  ruined  mass  resembling  soaked 
brown  coal. — "  I  suppose  they  come  from  some  ante- 
diluvian soup-kitchen  ? "  asked  my  Carl,  leaving  them 
untouched. 

"  Dinner  is  never  very  grand  on  the  day  of  a  ball ; 
there  are  so  many  more  important  things  to  be  seen 
to,"  I  said,  to  explain  away  the  scandalous  cookery. 


S-  '^^\j'^<?'"^-^-'^- 


1 82  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

"  Where  is  Fraulein  Schulz  ? " 

"  Probably  engag^ed  with  her  toilette  for  this  even- 

ing." 

"  I  think  that  she  is  writing,"  said  Frieda. 

"  The  best  thing  she  could  do,"  I  thought.  "  If  she 
tells  her  mother  that  she  has  become  a  nuisance,  I 
shall  be  released  from  a  task  that  only  becomes  more 
unpleasant  the  longer  it  is  put  off.". 

When  we  went  off  later  to  make  ourselves  ready  for 
the  dance,  Betti  said  :  "  I  really  cannot  understand 
you,  mamma ;  how  could  you  keep  so  quiet  over 
Fraulein  Schulz's  impertinence  ?  I  should  have  treated 
her  very  differently.*' 

"  Betti,  in  the  first  place,  I  did  not  want  to  lower 
myself  in  her  eyes  ;  and  secondly,  I  have  taken  an  un- 
shakable resolve  to  have  her  bundled  off  to  Zehlendorf 
the  day  after  to-morrow.  I  have  experienced  the  worst 
with  her.  It  cannot  be  surpassed  ;  and  this  conviction 
lent  me  control  and  strength.  You  may  thank  Provi- 
dence that  you  do  not  see  a  murderess,  or  something 
of  that  description,  sitting  before  you  in  your  mother. 
Ida  had  brought  it  to  that  pass.  But  whoever  has 
once  experienced  the  fostering  care  of  the  law,  will 
keep  watch  over  his  actions  rather  than  plunge  into 
endless  expense." 

In  order  that  my  husband  should  have  no  occasion 
for  remarks,  I  hurried  everything  forward  ;  and  when 
it  was  time  for  us  to  start,  two  flies-full  were  quite 
ready. 

The  ball  had  already  begun,  though  there  were  late- 
comers still  to  be  expected.  The  effect  really  is  too 
overpowering  when  people  rustle  through  the  widely- 
opened  folding-doors  into  the  brilliant  room,  and  when 
those  who  are  already  there  direct  their  glances  to- 
wards the  entering  guests  and  whisper  to  each  other, 


A  Ball-room  Chap er one.  183 

"Who  are  they  ?"—"  Oh,  they  are  So-and-so."— "  In- 
deed ;  that  is  who  it  is  !  "  Then  the  toilettes  are  ad- 
mired, and  people's  unaffected  manner,  so  far  as  it  can 
be  attained,  holding  their  hands  as  if  the  kid  gloves 
had  been  born  with  them  ;  and  one  feels  as  if  in  a 
swing,  or  as  if  cold  water  were  trickling  down  to  one's 
feet. 

Betti  and  Frieda  calculated  on  \h€\v  fiancies  as  part- 
ners to  begin  with,  and  likewise  on  Dr.  Paber,  who 
had  joined  my  son-in-law's  party,  and  had  arrived 
shortly  before  us.  Dr.  Paber  belongs  to  those  who 
honour  the  good  old  proverb,  "  Live  and  let  live,"  and 
who  see  that  unattached  gentlemen  must  do  penance 
at  balls  for  partaking  of  the  family  fare. 

We  grouped  ourselves  into  a  sort  of  connected  range 
of  wall  columns,  in  which  Frau  Assessor  Lehmann 
joined,  and  she  too  invited  several  acquaintances  to 
help  in  the  elongation  of  the  string  of  onions. 

My  three  girls  went  in  white,  only  that  the  cut  of 
each  dress  was  differofct,  and  that  each  had  on  a  dif- 
ferent sash.  Frieda  looked  extremely  well.  Perhaps 
she  provoked  more  attention  than  is  seemly  in  an  affi- 
anced bride.  There  was  something  out-of-the-way 
charming  about  Betti.  She  had  a  puffed  trimming, 
exquisitely  adorned  with  small  green  sprigs,  which 
presented  quite  a  bride-like  appearance.  Ida,  in  her 
muslin  dress  and  broad,  flaming  red  sash,  was  very  like 
a  dish  of  whipped  cream  with  currant  jelly  ;  it  was 
impossible  to  torture  the  gentlemen  by  expecting  them 
to  dance  with  her,  more  especially  as  some  remarkably 
pretty  girls  adorned  the  room. 

However,  Herr  Felix  had  taken  upon  himself  to  pro- 
cure her  a  partner.  I  do  not  remember  what  his  name 
was,  but  he  was  a  kind  of  giant  cut  short,  back  slight- 
ly rounded,  bright-eyed,  bold  in  his  attitudes,  although 


184  Frail    Wilhchnine. 

his  legs  turned  inwards,  and  remarkably  taken  up  with 
himself.  The  great  oaf  was  more  than  good  enough 
for  Ida. 

The  rooms  filled  gradually,  and  dancing  was  going 
on  with  great  spirit  by  the  time  Uncle  Fritz  was  visi- 
ble with  Erica. 

They  attracted  attention.  And  how  ?  By  Erica's 
unaffected  simplicity.  The  dress  was  made  quite 
plainly,  but  it  was  of  the  finest  cream-coloured  cash- 
mere, such  as  was  more  the  fashion  formerly,  and  her 
only  adornments  were,  a  light  pale  blue  velvet  ribbon 
round  her  neck,  and  the  same  in  her  fair  hair.  This 
toilette  might  have  been  called  childlike,  but  it  be- 
stowed such  a  virgin  charm  on  the  young  wife,  that 
the  sight  of  her  positively  called  forth  veneration. 
And  it  is  impossible  to  describe  how  her  big  blue  eyes 
looked  admiringly  at  the  glittering,  billowing  throng, 
or  how  timidly  she  kept  to  the  side  of  her  handsome 
husband,  whose  face  beamed  in  his  overflowing  felicity. 
Betti  hurried  up  to  her  and  said,  "You  are  the  most 
beautiful  of  all  !  " 

Erica  cast  down  her  eyes  and  reddened. 

The  distinguishing  feature  of  this  ball  was  the 
splendid  performances  of  the  singers  in  the  intervals 
between  the  dances  ;  and  they  did  not  sing  lamenta- 
tions either,  but  merry  marches  and  waltzes,  which 
regaled  the  ears  of  us  elderly  ladies  more  especially. 

Besides  this,  they  acted  a  scene  in  which  music  was 
introduced — from  the  "  Volkslied  " — which  afforded  a 
charming  variety  between  the  dances  and  the  eating 
and  drinking  refreshments. 

The  room  was  cleared  at  a  given  signal,  and  dwarfs 
and  gnomes  came  tripping  in  to  the  strains  of  a  merry 
march,  some  drawing  and  some  pushing  a  frame  rest- 
ing on  wheels,   which,  being  shrouded   in   glittering 


A  Ball-room  Oiaperone.  185 

gauze,  presented  the  appearance  of  a  snow  mountain. 
When  this  had  been  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  room, 
the  forest  spirits  lay  and  squatted  round  the  moun- 
tain, seeming  as  if  they  had  settled  down  for  their 
winter  sleep,  the  music  meanwhile  growing  softer  and 
more  conducive  to  slumber. 

Suddenly  a  French  horn  resounded,  and  peasant- 
lads  marched  through  the  door  with  their  treasures, 
in  the  most  diverse  costumes,  four  pairs  always  being 
dressed  alike,  as  Tyrolese,  Suabians,  Swiss,  Frisians, 
Appenzellers,  or  any  other  costume  that  peasants  wear. 

These  all  danced  several  minuet-like  figures,  and 
seemed  to  pay  no  attention  to  the  mountain  or  the 
gnomes  surrounding  it. 

Then  a  chord  was  played  upon  a  harp,  followed  imme- 
diately by  a  second.  The  orchestra  was  silent,  the 
dancers  stopped  and  listened,  and  the  sprites  began  to 
move.  The  harp  sounded  again,  but  this  time  it  was 
softly  accompanied  by  the  strains  of  a  pleasing  melo- 
dy, the  white  covering  slid  slowly  down  from  the 
structure,  and  a  charming  young  girl  became  visible, 
dressed  in  a  grey-blue  skirt  and  brown  bodice,  corn- 
flowers at  her  breast  and  in  her  hair,  a  stringed  instru- 
ment in  "her  hands.  She  was  the  Genius  of  National 
Song. 

At  her  feet  sat  the  knight  and  the  goldsmith's  little 
daughter,  the  hunter  with  his  cross-bow,  a  small  broth- 
er and  sister,  the  hermit,  the  valiant  man-at-arms,  and 
the  maiden  at  her  distaff.  A  couple  of  turtle-doves 
billed  and  cooed  together  on  a  green  branch,  and  a 
roe  peeped  forth  from  among  the  boughs.  Everything 
that  National  Song  tells  of  was  joined  together  in  a 
tableau  vivant,  which  turned  slowly  round  so  that  every 
one  could  see  it.  And  while  this  was  being  done,  the 
gentlemen  sang  a  collection  of   the   finest  National 


;  '^-"?ntrz=*».«i' -jTKi-j^^'.'^T 


j.wjjpi 


186  Frau    Wilhelmine. 

melodies,  which  gradually  passed  into  a  dance  tune. 
Once  more  the  costumed  throng  moved  to  and  fro  in 
the  mazy  dance,  and  then  they  left  the  room  as  they 
had  entered  it. 

There  was  only  one  opinion  about  this  delightful 
representation,  which  had  been  invented  by  Fritz's 
friend — Dr.  Theodore  Mann.  Had  he  only  seen  how 
Erica  could  find  no  words  to  express  what  she  wanted 
to  say,  he  would  have  been  richly  rewarded.  But  he 
had  to  wield  the  conductor's  bdton. 

After  this  the  ball  was  continued  with  renewed  en- 
ergy. I  was  in  no  mood  for  dancing  after  the  experi- 
ences of  the  day  ;  but  Uncle  Fritz  insisted,  although 
I  had  dressed  in  black.  He  is  a  magnificent  dancer, 
careful  and  sure,  but  light  and  elastic  in  his  move- 
ments withal.  I  begged  him,  if  it  were  possible,  to  in- 
troduce Ida  to  some  partners,  as  she  had  been  sitting 
out  for  several  dances,  to  which  he  answered,  "  At 
once." 

When  the  next  Schottische  was  beginning,  four  men 
came  up  together,  who  appealed  to  Fritz  for  an  intro- 
duction, and  requested  the  honour  of  being  allowed  to 
engage  the  young  lady  for  a  dance.  From  this  mo- 
ment she  became  one  of  the  most  sought-after  part- 
ners. That  there  was  some  mischief  connected  with 
this,  was  certain  ;  and  that  Xlncle  Fritz  had  set  it 
afloat,  was  still  more  certain. 

Frieda,  who  was  not  equally  fortunate,  grew  visibly 
sulky,  and  behaved  just  as  shrewishly  towards  Max  as 
she  used  formerly  to  do  ;  he  certainly  had  committed 
the  mistake  of  neglecting  her  completely  for  a  whole 
dance,  and  Ida  was  sufficiently  deceitful,  notwithstand- 
ing her  promise,  to  precipitate  herself  on  Max  in  "the 
ladies'  choice,"  and  waltz  off  with  him. 

Frieda  called  him  over  the  coals  on  the  subject.   He 


A  Ball-room  Chaperone.  187 

answered  more  forcibly.  She  grew  more  and  more 
violent,  and — I  do  not  know  whether  I  saw  rightly, 
but  she  had  raised  her  hand,  and  he  grew  deadly  pale. 
Turning  short  round,  he  left  her  standing  there. 
Something  had  happened. 

Frieda  now  wanted  to  go  home.  "  When  we  all 
go,"  I  told  her.  There  were  the  most  abominable 
commotions  in  prospect  again  for  to-morrow  between 
Frieda  and  Ida,  Frieda  and  Max,  Max  and  me  ;  myself, 
Frieda,  and  Max,  Ida  and  myself,  and  between  me  and 
Doris.  And  lastly,  between  me  and  my  Carl,  who 
must  stand  by  me,  for  I  did  not  feel  equal  to  encoun- 
ter coming  events  alone. 

However,  even  that  was  not  all.  On  the  contrary, 
Emmi  came  as  well.  "  Where  is  Franz  ?  " — "  Emmi, 
why  are  you  so  excited  ?  " — "  I  ask,  where  is  Franz  ?  " 
— "  I  have  not  got  him  in  my  pocket !  " — "  He  has 
gone  off  surreptitiously."  — "  To  see  a  patient,  no 
doubt," — "  Mamma,  for  some  time  lately  he  has  van- 
ished about  eleven  every  evening." — "  My  child,  he  is 
a  doctor." — "  That  is  what  he  says  too,  but  Frau  Leh- 
mann  knows  better  than  that." — "\^at  does  she 
know  ?  " — "  That  he  is  deceiving  me." — "  Nonsense! " — 
"Frau  Lehmann  knows  the  world;  she  does  not  trust 
her  husband  either." — "Well,  Herr  Lehmann  is  not 
your  husband  ;  what  have  you  to  do  with  Herr  Leh- 
mann ?  " — "  Mamma,  there  is  proof  sufficient  in  the 
fact  that  Franz  can  desert  me  here  at  the  ball.  I  am 
going  now  with  Frau  Lehmann;  if  you  see  Franz,  tell 
him  that  he  knows  well  why  I  have  done  it.  I  will 
come  to  you  to-morrow.  Perhaps  I  shall  bring  the 
children  at  once." — "  Emmi ! " — "  Have  you  not  had 
your  suspicions  of    him  too  from  the  first?" — "But 

what  an  idea " — "You  cannot  deny  it,   mamma. 

Oh,  you  saw  through  him  !  " 


:--!-;>'S';fr. 


188  Frau  Wilhelmine. 

Frau  Lehmann  gave  her  a  sign,  and  both  went  to- 
wards the  door. 

This  was  to  be  a  nice  ball  for  me  !  Everybody  was 
enjoying  him  or  herself  to  the  utmost.  Lights  and 
music,  merriment  and  life,  wherever  one  looked  ;  I 
alone  sat  there  with  nothing  but  worries  and  cares. 

Then  a  gentle  hand  was  laid  on  mine.  "  Why  are 
you  so  thoughtful  ? "  asked  Erica. — "  I  am  tired." — 
"  Then  we  will  go." — "  Are  you  not  enjoying  your- 
self ?  " — "  I  should  never  have  thought  that  a  ball  could 
be  so  charming." — "  It  is  your  first,  but  when  you  are 
a  chaperone  you  will  think  differently.  Have  you 
danced  much  ?" — "  Only  a  few  times  with  Fritz." 

"  That  is  right  ;  he  holds  his  partner  firmly,  and 
dances  with  circumspection  when  necessary.  He 
thought  of  my  amusement,  too.     There  he  comes." 

Uncle  Fritz  agreed  to  our  leaving.  He  fetched  my 
Carl  from  one  of  the  side  rooms,  where  he  had  been 
having  a  game  of  whist  with  some  elderly  gentlemen. 
Frieda,  whose  eyes  were  filled  with  tears  of  rage  and 
mortification,  was  longing  to  go  ;  Ida  alone  wished  to 
stay.  "  I  am  making  such  a  sensation,"  she  said  ;  "  I 
am  engaged  for  five  more  dances  ! " 

Nor  was  this  untrue,  for  her  programme  was  cov- 
ered with  names. 

"  Fritz,"  I  asked  softly,  **  how  have  you  set  to  work 
to  turn  this  horror — that  is  what  I  call  her — almost 
into  the  queen  of  the  ball-room  ?  " 

"  A  little  Stock  Exchange  manoeuvre,  Wilhelm.  I 
spread  the  report  that  she  was  an  orphan,  with  eighty 
thousand  thalers  at  her  disposition  ;  and  as  many 
people  prefer  enjoying  their  parents-in-law  cold,  her 
price  went  up  in  the  market  at  once.  I  wager  that 
many  gentlemen  will  pay  their  visits  to-morrow." 

"This  is   the  last  straw!     Children,   let  us  go.     I 


Building  Projects.  189 

really  do  feel  ill.  Being  a  chaperone  is  not  only  try- 
ing during  the  evening — ah,  no  !  —  she  has  to  go 
through  the  hardest  part  before — and  frequently  too 
afterwards.  Fritz,  wrap  Erica  up  well,  so  that  she 
does  not  catch  cold." 


BUILDING  PROJECTS. 

About  conspiracies  and  the  rule  of  three— Why  Betti  has  no  judg- 
ment and  the  Doctor  will  not  be  sent  away  empty — Thoughts 
about  stained  glass  and  distant  nurseries — About  envenomed 
ink  and  powers  of  destruction — About  Feodorovna  and  the  un- 
bumt  letter — Why  the  kitchen  smoked. 

The  morning  had  scarcely  dawned  before  a  hollow, 
subterranean  noise  frightened  away  the  sleep,  which  I 
had  had  difficulty  enough  in  wooing  when  I  lay  down, 
for  it  does  not  permit  itself  to  be  either  commanded 
or  coaxed  like  a  cat.  Neither  flattery  nor  scolding  is 
of  any  avail.  It  winks  itself  off  if  it  does  not  intend 
coming. 

"  Carl !  "  I  exclaimed  ;  "  Carl !  do  you  hear  the 
knocking  ? " 

"  Sleep  on  quietly,  Wilhelmine  ;  I  am  sure  that  you 
are  still  tired  after  the  ball." 

"  I  wish  that  I  were,  and  could  sleep  through  a  spell 
of  four-and-twenty  hours." — "  Are  you  so  worn  out .? " 
— "  Oh,  no  ;  but  what  one  sleeps  through,  one  does 
not  experience!  Carl,  where  is  that  hammering?" 
I  raised  myself  in  order  to  listen  the  better. — "  Do  stay 
quietly  in  bed." — "  Carl,  the  walls  are  positively  trem- 
bling.    What  is  the  meaning  of  it  ?" 

My  husband,  who  had  got  up,  cheered  me  by  saying : 


■  -    ■■^r:ui'^'^ 


190  Frau   Wilhcltnine. 

"  Do  not  excite  yourself  unnecessarily,  Wilhelmine  ; 
we  are  beginning  our  building." 

"  Beginning  what  ? " 

**  Our  building.  The  masons  are  breaking  down  the 
walls  between  this  and  the  building  lot  beside  us." — 
"  You  only  tell  me  about  it  now  ? " — "  In  order  not  to 
spoil  your  night's  rest.  You  are  too  fond  of  torment- 
ing yourself  with  superfluous  cares." — "  Had  you  onl)'' 
told  me  one  word  about  it,  I  am  sure  that  I  should  not 
have  waked  up  ;  I  could  have  had  my  sleep  out  most 
beautifully.  When  one  knows  what  causes  noise,  it  is 
not  in  the  least  disturbing.  But  it  is  just  the  way  with 
all  men  ;  when  the  wife  is  buried  beneath  falling 
stones,  it  is  quite  time  enough  to  tell  her  that  the  house 
is  being  pulled  down.  I  cannot  stay  in  bed  another 
minute." — "I  would  strongly  dissuade  you  from  get- 
ting up  ;  )'^ou  will  come  to  grief  much  more  comfort- 
ably on  a  mattress  than  off  it." — "  Carl,  you  are  heart- 
less ;  what  did  you  drink  yesterday  ?  " — "  Your  good 
health." — "  Is  that  an  answer  ? " — "  This  is  how  it  was. 
I  drank  with  Felix  to  the  success  of  the  building,  and 
to  our  all  being  allowed  to  see  the  fulfilment  of  the 
hopes  which  we  connect  with  it,  old  as  well  as  young, 
and  to  your  getting  well  over  all  the  attendant  bother. 
Betti  was  of  opinion  that  you  would  sleep  so  soundly 
this  morning,  that  we  might  easily  begin  then."  — 
"  Just  think  of  it,  Betti  was  in  the  secret  too  !  Well, 
well ;  I  am  just  good  enough  to  be  made  the  dupe  of 
a  conspiracy  !  " — "  Minchen,  will  you  do  me  the  favour 
of  not  getting  out  of  bed  wrong  foot  foremost  ? — you 
have  a  leaning  that  way  to-day.  I  shall  expect  you  to 
recover  your  good  temper  later,  for  architect  Krause 
is  coming  to  breakfast  at  eleven ;  we  have  important 
matters  to  discuss  which  are  waiting  for  your  verdict. 
Be  good,  old  woman  ;  snuggle  down  under  the  coun- 


Building  Projects.  191 

terpane  and  drowse  away  for  a  bit.  You  know  Krause 
is  a  nice  sort  of  fellow." 

Before  I  could  groan  out  to  him,  "  Is  not  the  meas- 
ure for  this  ill-starred  day  filled  to  overflowing 
yet  ? "  he  was  gone.  "  Let  them  build,"  I  thought, 
sinking  back  on  my  bed  in  the  weakness  of  despair. 
"Everything  is  out  of  gear  ;  why  should  not  the  poor, 
innocent  house  come  in  for  its  share  of  suffering  ? 
Meanwhile,  they  have  humiliated  me." 

Why  was  I  so  silly  as  to  worry  myself  about  other 
people?  How  delightful  it  would  have  been  quite 
alone  with  my  Carl,  just  two  or  three  friendly  rooms, 
one  with  the  morning  sun  on  it,  a  modest  servant,  far 
away  from  Berlin,  somewhere  on  the  border  of  a  for- 
est ;  the  larks  sing — some  hens  as  well — four — six,  I 
suppose  it  ought  to  be — Carl  is  too  fond  of  new-laid 
eggs — and  a  cock — each  lays  one  on  alternate  days — 
the  best  daily — that  makes  eighteen  eggs  a  week — no 
— once  six  is  six,  and  one-and-a-half  times  five — no — 
every  other  day  goes  three  times  into  six — three  times 
five  are  fifteen — makes  twenty-one  altogether.  All 
wrong ;  for  the  hens  don't  keep  Sunday — so  it  is  two 
into  seven — won't  go.  What  am  I  to  do  with  the  two 
half-days  ;  they  lay  whole  eggs,  surely  ?  The  sum 
grew  more  involved  with  each  fresh  addition  ;  I  could 
not  get  it  right,  and  the  first  half  of  the  rule  of  three 
had  disappeared  by  the  time  I  had  just  written  the 
last  number  on  the  wall  in  my  thoughts. 

The  door  opened  and  Betti  came  in.  "Well,  mam- 
ma, had  your  sleep  out  ?  " — "  I  have  not  closed  my 
eyes,  child." — "You  were  in  a  lovely  sleep  when  I 
looked  in  just  now." — "  You  mistake  ;  since  papa  went 
away,  I  have  been  lying  awake  here." — "  But  it  is 
after  ten  already  !  " — "  Ten  ?  " — "  Will  you  get  up  and 
dress  ? " — "  I  am  so  tired  out." — "  Your  coffee  has  been 


192  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

kept  warm  ;  I  will  fetch  it  for  you.  Breakfast  is  ready 
too  ;  the  gentlemen  may  be  coming." — **  If  you  say 
so,  I  suppose  I  must  have  had  a  little  nap,  but  only 
a  very  little  one." — "Shall  we  say  for  about  three 
hours?" — "Betti,  is  time  charged  with  electricity  too ? 
It  never  used  to  fly  like  that." 

A  morsel  of  refreshment  is  always  strengthening, 
and  as  Betti  made  herself  helpful  to  me  in  my  dressing, 
my  recovery  progressed  fairly — I  even  had  strength 
to  ask  after  the  "helps." 

"  Have  Ida  and  Frieda  been  fighting  with  each  other 
already  ? " 

"  They  avoid  each  other,  with  angry  looks." 

So  their  account  had  not  been  settled  yet. 

"  Has  Doris  given  notice  ? " 

"  Mamma,  Doris  was  instigated  to  rebellion  by  Ida  ; 
she  has  begged  me  to  say  a  good  word  for  her  to 
you." 

"  Has  Emmi  come  yet  ?  " 

"  Emmi  ?     First  thing  in  the  morning  ?  " 

"  She  intends  leaving  her  husband." 

"Mamma,  you  are  dreaming  still !  " 

"She  is  coming  to  us  with  the  children.  Frau  Leh- 
mann  has  advised  her  doing  so." — "  Mamma,  I  do  not 
like  Frau  Lehmann  at  all,  especially  since  they  have 
come  into  money  and  only  keep  up  intercourse  with 
people  who  live  in  great  style.  I  never  had  the  least 
doubt  that  she  was  a  very  ambitious  woman  ;  she  al- 
ways wanted  to  push  herself  forward,  but  did  not 
quite  know  how  it  was  to  be  done.  And  now  that  she 
has  got  to  the  front,  no  doubt  she  supposes  that  the 
way  to  fashion  is  family  scandal.  She  has  by  no 
means  caught  the  knack  of  the  real  aristocrats  yet." — 
"But  supposing  tlie  Doctor  really  should  have  given 
Emmi  grounds  for  jealousy  ? " — "  Franz  thinks  a  great 


Building  Projects.  193 

deal  too  much  of  her  and  the  twins.  I  will  speak  to 
Emmi." — "You  can  have  no  opinions  on  such  matters 
yet." — "Mamma,  Felix  and  I  are  keeping  a  great 
secret  to  ourselves.  He  revealed  it  to  me,  in  order 
that  the  past  should  never  throw  a  shadow  across  our 
happiness — in  order  that  he  should  never  merit  the 
reproach  of  having  deceived  me." 

"  That  he  loved  another  ?  " — "  How  do  you  know  ? ' 
— "Supposition,  child;  supposition."  —  ^' But  it  wag 
before  he  had  seen  and  known  me,  mamma.  And  yel 
you  cannot  conceive  what  torments  I  endured,  how  I 
suffered  through  his  sincerity.  I  felt  as  if  I  had  been 
immeasurably  rich,  and  was  now  reduced  to  beggary 
at  a  stroke.  I  could  have  envied  the  stone  his  foot 
trod  upon,  such  w^s  my  adoration  for  my  idol.  Do 
you  understand  the  heartache  that  his  confidence 
caused  me  ?" 

What  was  I  to  say  ?  The  thought  which  had  often 
troubled  me  in  secret,  that  she  would  learn  it  just  at 
the  moment  when  it  could  work  the  greatest  mischief, 
was  past ;  she  knew  it  now,  and  it  was  well.  For  un- 
pleasantnesses always  come  to  light  just  when  they  are 
least  wanted.  There  was  no  object  in  telling  her  that 
her  supposed  great  secret  had  caused  us  trouble 
enough  already.     But  I  wondered  how  she  took  it. 

"  Does  it  make  you  love  him  less  ? "  I  asked,  after 
a  pause. 

"  I  love  him  more  deeply  and  truly,"  she  said.  "  The 
sorrow  has  subsided,  and  everything  is  clear  and  above- 
board  between  us.  And  Emmi  must  not  commit  a 
folly  ;  I  will  try  to  dissuade  her  from  it.  A  sister  is 
nearer  to  her  than  Frau  Lehmann." — "  Is  the  Doctor 
to  get  off  entirely  ?  It  seems  to  me  that  he  is  the  guilty 
party." — "  Your  authority  had  better  be  exerted  over 
him." — "Authority?     Of  course.     But  supposing  he 


•s-.i-y  T  ..^-.v.--i5.«ii75v™j^  ■  ..-  .^g^^ 


194  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

shows  me  the  door  ? " — "  Franz  would  never  forget 
himself  so  far  as  that." — "  He  would  not  push  me  out ; 
it  would  be  done  in  all  friendliness,  naturally,  but  I 
should  find  myself  outside  all  the  same." 

Frieda  announced  that  the  gentlemen  had  come  in 
for  breakfast.  She  looked  pale  and  confused.  "  Frie- 
da," I  exclaimed,  as  Betti  went  off,  "  Frieda,  what  is 
the  matter  with  you  ? " — "  Nothing." — "  I  thought  that 
you  were  feeling  sorry  for  your  behaviour  of  yesterday 
If  Max  is  angry  with  you,  who  can  blame  him  for  it  ? " 
— "  He  will  come  round  again  ;  if  not  to-day,  it  will  be 
to-morrow  ;  but  Fraulein  Schulz  has  had  three  big  bou- 
quets sent  her,  and  she  keeps  on  pluming  herself  about 
it.  Then  she  keeps  on  telling  Doris  that  she  danced 
and  another  person  sat  out.     That  is  a  hit  at  me." 

"  It  is  a  matter  of  total  indifference  to  me." 

She  went  off  looking  very  much  ashamed,  but  as  I 
had  quite  made  up  my  mind  to  send  Ida  to  the  right- 
about, I  had  not  the  remotest  intention  of  taking  either 
side  against  the  other.  Otherwise  there  might  have 
chanced  to  be  a  mild  thunder-storm. 

My  husband,  the  architect  Krause,  and  Felix  had 
not  begun  their  breakfast  before  I  appeared.  We  sat 
down,  and  the  conversation  soon  turned  on  the  build- 
ing. They  showed  me  their  plans  piecemeal  and  by 
degrees,  accompanied  by  a  piquant  morsel  here  and  a 
glass  of  wine  there.  The  building  of  the  manufactory 
received  my  approval  ;  but  when  the  cat  was  let  out 
of  the  bag,  I  soon  saw  in  what  direction  it  was  jump- 
ing, and  I  learned  to  my  horror  that  our  dwelling  was 
to  be  divided  -into  two  halves  ;  the  one  for  us.  the 
Other  for  Felix  and  Betti. 

"  No,"  I  exclaimed,  **  I  will  not  give  my  consent  to 
that !  Had  we  not  better  go  into  the  workhouse  at 
once?" 


Building  Projects.  195 

And  yet  how  prettily  the  architect  understood  strip- 
ping the  peel  from  the  nut !  Our  house  has  its  ad- 
vantages, that  is  true,  nor  can  we  two  alone  turn  it  to 
account ;  for  even  now,  when  certain  rooms  are  used 
for  storing  goods,  it  is  too  big ;  but  who  can  bear  say- 
ing good-bye  to  an  old  friend  that  is  to  be  altered  be- 
yond recognition  ?  I  could  not,  and  I  could  not  make 
up  my  mind  to  it. 

" Wilhelmine,"  said  my  Carl,  "we  must  limit  our- 
selves to  fewer  rooms  for  a  time,  while  the  building  is 
going  on,  and  there  will  not  be  room  forFrauleinSchulz. 
Do  you  not  thfnk  that  this  is  a  favourable  oppor- 
tunity for  returning  her  to  her  mother's  arms  without 
further  reasons  ? " 

"  Yes,  my  Carl ;  if  the  house  must  be  altered,  the 
*  helps '  must  go.  But,  tell  me,  Herr  Architect,  can  you 
arrange  to  add  a  bay-window,  as  is  so  much  the  fash- 
ion now  ? " 

"  Of  course." 

"  And  what  do  you  think  about  stained  glass  ? 

"  I  consider  it  excellent  for  chapels  and  cathedrals, 
but  I  think  white  window-glass  is  more  appropriate 
for  practical  purposes.  One  wants  some  light  in  a 
room." — "Mamma,"  said  Betti,  "don't  have  it.  When 
Frau  Lehmann  lies  on  the  lounge  in  her  boudoir  with 
the  stained-glass  windows,  she  looks  ugly  and  pale 
green,  like  a  sick  haddock." — "  You  were  going  to  Em- 
mi's,  child." — "Directly,  mamma  ;  but  I  should  like  to 
know  first  what  is  going  to  happen  about  the  house." 

"You  have  no  time  to  lose." — "Then  make  up  your 
mind,  mamma,  so  that  I  may  be  off." — "But  what  will 
Emmi  think  about  the  building  ?  She  might  perhaps 
fancy  that  you  are  being  preferred  to  her  !  " — "  She 
thinks  it  would  be  advisable,"  answered  Betti;  "but 
the  Doctor  tried  to  dissuade  Felix."     She  crimsoned 


196  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

to  the  roots  of  her  hair  and  hesitated. — "  Why  did  he 
dissuade  him  ? "  I  inquired  ;  "  what  grounds  had  he 
for  dissuading  him  ?  Out  with  it." — "I  will  whisper 
it  to  you." 

Betti  whispered  it  quietly  to  me. 

"  Carl,"  I  exclaimed,  "  I  am  determined  now  !  We 
will  build." 

Hereupon  we  toasted  the  building  in  bumpers,  and 
shook  hands  over  the  affair. 

But  oh,  this  doctor  !  What  had  he  said  to  Felix  in 
order  to  frustrate  our  building  projects  ?  "  Be  sure 
you  don't  settle  down  on  the  same  fioor,  or  the  women 
will  sit  upon  you."  That  was  what  he  had  said  ! 
Scandalous  !  The  inspection  of  the  plans  and  a  thor- 
ough overhauling  of  the  house,  which  led  us  from  one 
room  to  another,  and  gave  us  occasions  for  measure- 
ments, examinations,  decisions  in  favour  now  of  this, 
and  now  of  that,  cooled  down  my  wrath  against  my 
esteemed  son-in-law  ;  but  his  unfeeling  remark  was 
put  in  pickle  for  him  until  further  notice.  He  shall 
hear  more  about  it  some  day. 

When  the  architect  had  gone,  I  said  to  my  Carl  : 
"  It  is  a  real  blessing  that  there  are  men  to  be  found 
like  Krause.  You  will  see  the  dwellings  are  going  to 
be  charming,  and  above  all,  practical.  With  what 
careful  view  to  its  purpose  he  has  taken  the  nursery 
into  consideration  !  We  cannot  hear  the  slightest 
noise  at  our  end,  not  even  when  the  eldest  gets  a  few 
knocks,  however  loudly  he  may  yell." 

"  Minchen,"  laughed  my  Carl,  "  there  is  not  even 
one  yet,  and  you  are  looking  forward  already  to  his 
being  soundly  thrashed  !  Go  on  at  half  the  pace  !  " — 
"  I  only  say,  supposing  such  a  thing  should  occur  !  I 
do  not  permit  violent  measures  ; — not  under  any  cir- 
cumstances.    I  can  be  with  Betti  in  a  second  to  pre- 


.. :  -  '>''^^^^^S^:>yrc4'0^W^r 


Building  Projects.  197 

vent  the  occurrence  of  anything  wrong.  Grandmam- 
ma is  the  only  person  who  knows  how  children  ought 
to  be  dealt  with.  The  Doctor  has  not  the  dimmest 
notion  on  the  subject,  nor  Felix  the  least  idea.  How 
pleasant  it  will  be,  not  to  have  to  cross  the  street !  " — 
"  Hem,"  said  my  Carl. 

Doris  came  and  brought  a  letter ;  the  address  be- 
trayed Frau  Schulz's  handwriting, 

"  Aha,"  I  said,  "  she  is  sure  to  beg  that  we  will  keep 
her  offspring  !  " — "  Have  you  written  already  ?  " — "  I 
hope  Ida  herself  has  communicated  to  her  that  her 
position  has  become  untenable.  What  other  reason 
could  she  have  for  writing  ?  " 

Meanwhile  I  had  opened  the  letter  and  was  read- 
ing it. 

"  Carl,"  I  exclaimed,  "the  blow  prostrates  me  !  This 
passes  all  bounds.  Oh,  how  shameful !  No,  how 
abominable  ! " 

"  Wilhelmine  !  "  my  Carl  came  closer  to  me,  as  I  was 
sitting  there  like  a  living  corpse. — "  Such  a  creature  ! 
Is  it  credible  ?  Her  daughter  would  be  physically  and 
morally  destroyed  in  our  house  were  she  to  remain  a 
day  longer  in  it !  Just  listen  !  " — and  I  now  went  on 
reading  to  him  :  *  My  daughter  has  been  silent  and 
suffered  long  enough' — *  suffered '  trebly  underlined. 
Now,  Carl,  I  put  it  to  you,  who  has  suffered,  Idiss  or 
I  ?  *  In  the  simplicity  of  her  heart  she  did  not  venture 
to  complain ;  perhaps,  too,  it  was  fear  that  closed  her 
lips.  I  will  not  take  this  occasion  to  call  you  to  ac- 
count for  the  fact  that  she  was  slighted,  that  she  was 
threatened  with  imprisonment,  with  violence,  for  friv- 
olous trifles,' — Carl,  she  was  only  sent  to  bed  occasion- 
ally— 'that  she  suffered  hunger,' — Carl,  suffer  hunger 
with  us  ! — '  that  maddening  necessity  drove  her  into  tak- 
ing scraps  secretly,  and  that  she  was  scolded  for  the  fact 


198  Frau   Wilhdmine. 

when  crumbs  were  found  on  inspecting  her  pockets.' — 
Carl,  are  cooking  apples,  scraps  ?  Are  lumps  of  sugar, 
crumbs  ? — '  As  I  said  above,  I  will  not  call  you  to  ac- 
count for  this,  because  I  wished  that  Edith  should  be 
treated  strictly  ;  although  I  certainly  did  not  intend 
brutality  to  be  understood  when  I  spoke  of  strictness  ; 
but  that  my  daughter  should  be  kept  at  degrading 
work,  that  she  should  have  been  forced  to  sew  buttons 
on  Herr  Buchholz's  underclothes,  that  obliges  me  to 
assert  my  rights/  " — "  Is  that  true  ? "  asked  my  husband. 
— "  What  ?"—"  What  she  says  about  the  buttons." — 
"  Carl  !  When  I  mend  all  your  linen  myself,  and  put 
in  the  patches  so  carefully  that  they  are  not  to  be 
seen  !  They  are  maniifest  lies.  Why  did  we  get  a  girl 
like  that  into  the  house  ? " — "  I  told  you  at  once  that 
she  did  not  please  me,  but  you  reproached  me  with 
my  want  of  knowledge  of  human  nature.  Do  you  not 
remember?" — "Please  don't  get  angry  wirti  me,  my 
good  Carl.  I  have  made  a  mistake.  Don't  be  cross. 
But  the  letter  has  not  come  to  an  end  yet.  That 
woman  must  have  dipped  her  pen  in  envenomed  ink. 
Just  fancy,  she  wants  to  get  something  else  out  of  us  ! 
She  writes  :  'You  will  return  the  money  paid  for  my 
daughter's  board,  as  you  cannot  possibly  assert  that 
starving  her  is  the  same  as  boarding  her  ! ' — Ida  has 
starved  herself  fat  and  plump.  Had  we  only  known 
that  this  was  awaiting  us,  I  should  have  had  her 
weighed  to  start  with. — *  I  also  demand  an  indemnity 
of  one  thousand  marks  for  my  ill-used  child  ;  which 
you  will,  I  hope,  pay  down  amicably.  I  wish  to  ex- 
press my  regret  that  a  matter  from  which  I  had  prom- 
ised myself  the  best  results,  should  have  ended  so  de- 
plorably, and  I  beg  to  remain,  with  the  expression  of 
my  high  esteem,  your  most  obedient,  D.  Schulz.-- 
P.S.  I  shall  fetch  my  Edith  away  to-day,  and  expect 


Building  Projects.  199 

that  the  other  matter  will  be  in  readiness  for  me.' — • 
Carl,  must  we  hand  over  the  money  ?  " 

"  Has  your  contract  been  made  in  writing  ? " — "  Only 
by  wor^  of  mouth,  and  nothing  was  positively  set- 
tled."—"Then  she  must  go  to  law."— "Carl  ! "  I 
screamed  in  my  fright,  "  not  before  the  court  ?  " — 
"  Where  else  ?  " — "  I  shall  not  survive  it.  But,  then, 
dn  her  side  she  must  pay  for  what  Ida  has  broken. 
The  cream-jug  was  worth  at  least  ninepence,  besides 
her  other  endeavours  in  that  direction.  She  possesses 
astonishing  aptitude  for  breakages.  Just  let  the 
mother  come ! " 

"  I  will  take  her  in  hand,"  said  my  Carl.  "  I  shall 
have  you  ill,  and  I  don't  want  that.  Leave  the  matter 
alone  until  I  come  back  ;  I  will  get  advice  from  a  so- 
licitor."    He  took  the  letter  and  went  off. 

Could  such  meanness  have  been  thought  possible  ? 
But  I  wa^  served  quite  rightly.  Why  did  I  listen  to 
her  smooth  words,  when  Frau.  Schulz  praised  me  as  a 
pattern  of  domesticity,  and  exalted  me  to  the  skies  ? 
It  was  your  vanity,  Wilhelmine,  which  played  you  that 
trick  ;  you  made  up  your  mind  to  show  the  woman 
how  unexceptionally  you  could  educate  Ida,  how  she 
would  sing  your  praises  ;  otherwise  the  first  week 
would  have  taught  you  that  your  strength  was  not 
sufficient  for  such  obstinacy.  Now  you  are  left  sitting 
like  a  blockhead,  Wilhelmine,  and  such  a  blockhead  ! 

Betti  found  me  fairly  in  a  state  of  despair  and  de- 
pression when  she  came ;  but  she  brought  good  news. 
It  certainly  was  no  trivial  matter  for  Emmi  that  her 
husband  had  almost  totally  neglected  his  home  for 
some  weeks.  She  had  believed  him  at  first  when  he 
told  her  that  he  was  treating  a  rich  and  travelled  Rus- 
sian, who  insisted  on  having  all  the  Doctor's  spare 
time  in  return  for  a  brilliant  honorarium;  but  when 


200  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

Frau  Lehmann  had  seen  the  Doctor  one  fine  day  dur- 
ing the  dinner-hour  in  a  carriage  with  a  veiled  lady, 
she  began  to  get  suspicious.  Although  he  now  owned 
that  the  Russian's  wife  was  his  patient,  Emmi's  sus- 
picions increased  ;  for  why  had  he  not  told  her  the 
truth  at  once  ?  In  order  that  she  should  not  harbour 
silly  thoughts  ?  That  had  been  done  with  Frau  Leh- 
mann's  help.  Yesterday,  when  the  Doctor  vanished 
from  the  ball,  she  had  come  to  a  determination  to  put 
an  end  to  this  state  of  things  ;  but  the  Russian  lady 
had  died  during  this  very  night.  "  How  terrible, 
mamma,  to  be  called  from  a  ball-room  to  a  death-bed  ! 
Verily,  a  doctor's  life  is  not  an  easy  one." — "And 
Emmi  has  given  in  now  ? " — "  The  Doctor  took  her 
with  him  to-day  to  the  Russian's  house  ;  she  saw  the 
dead  woman,  and  took  flowers  for  her,  although  she 
resisted  doing  so  at  first.  Then  the  Russian  thanked 
her  for  the  roses,  and  asked  her  to  forgive  him  for 
having  laid  claim  to  her  husband's  time  so  frequently 
and  for  so  long.  His  care  had  been  successful  in  hold- 
ing back  the  fleeting  life  for  some  weeks,  and  he  was 
thankful  to  her  for  every  day,  every  hour  gained. 
Then  he  made  her  a  present  of  a  gold  chain  which 
Feodorovna  used  to  wear.  I  hope  that  whenever  she 
looks  at  the  chain  she  will  remember  that  it  is  better 
to  have  confidence  in  one's  husband  than  in  a  so-called 
friend," — "  Yes,  Betti,  if  they  were  all  as  wise  as  you." 
• — "  I  have  gone  through  my  share  of  trquble,  mamma." 
— "  I  have  not  yet."  And  now  I  told  her  the  latest 
news  about  Ida  and  Frau  Schulz.  She  was  ready  to 
fall  down  flat. 

Frau  Schulz  appeared  shortly  before  dinner.  She 
was  shown  into  the  drawing-room  ;  and  as  my  hus- 
band had  not  returned  from  the  solicitor's,  I  was 
obliged  to  do  the  honours.     But  they  could  hardly  be 


Building  Projects.  201 

called  that.  "Where  is  my  daughter?"  she  asked, 
after  she  had  taken  a  seat. — "  In  her  room,  probably." 
— "She  is  packing  up,  I  suppose?" — "Possibly." — 
"  You  have  told  her  that  I  was  coming  to  fetch  my  poor 
child?  " — "No.  She  thought  it  wise  not  to  show  her- 
self to  me,  and  I  that  it  was  still  wiser  to  leave  her  com- 
pletely alone." — "Then  she  hardly  knows  that  I  am 
here?" — "Not  from  me." — "I  have  been  greatly  de- 
ceived in  you,  Frau  Buchholz." — "  Don't  mention  it ; 
I  can  return  the  compliment." — "Can  I  do  otherwise 
than  believe  my  Idiss  ?  Can  you  contradict  the  com- 
plaints she  has  made  to  me  ? "  Upon  which  she  drew 
a  letter  from  her  pocket  and  held  it  towards  me.  It 
was  from  Ida,  and  contained  all  the  accusations  the 
mother  had  brought  against  me  in  her  document  "I 
■wonder  whether  Ida  would  have  the  effrontery  to  per- 
sist in  her  lies  in  my  presence  ?  "  I  thought.  "  There 
is  only  one  person,"  I  said  to  Frau  Schulz,  "  who  can 
contradict  these  assertions,  and  that  is  Ida  herself. 
We  witl  have  her  called.  Or,  better  still,  we  will  go 
up-stairs,  and  you  can  remain  behind  the  half-opened 
door,  so  that  you  may  hear  every  word  while  I  am 
talking  to  Ida." 

She  demurred,  but  I  held  fast  to  my  suggestion. 
When  I  walked  into  Ida's  room  she  was  lying  on  the 
bed,  resting  after  the  fatigues  of  the  ball.  I  had  not 
been  so  fortunate.  "  Ida,"  I  said,  "  I  believe  that  you 
wish  to  leave  us  ?  "  She  was  silent.  "  Have  you  ever 
been  wronged  ?  "  No  answer  again.  "  Have  you  ever 
suffered  hunger  ?  "     Not  a  word. 

How  triumphant  Frau  Schulz  must  have  felt  behind 
the  door  ! 

"  What  have  you  to  complain  of,  Ida  ? " — "  I  don't 
complain." — "Then  why  did  you  write  this  letter?" 
She  opened  her  eyes  wide  and  stared  at  the  papen    .  - 


•  !'.■-.' 

i 

202  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

"I — I  did  not  mean  anything  by  it." — "Did  you  not 
think  that  you  would  hurt  me  by  writing  it  ? " — "  I 
did  not  intend  that.  Mamma  should  have  burnt  it  at 
once." — "  But  she  has  given  it  to  me.  Ida,  how  could 
you  allow  yourself  to  behave  like  that  ? " — "  Frieda 
told  me  you  had  said  that  you  would  turn  me  out  of 

the  house,  and  so " — "  And  so  ?  " — "  I  determined 

to  write  first." — **  And  to  throw  all  the  blame  on  me  ?  " 
—"I  did  not  mean  it  to  be  as  bad  as  that." — "You 
were  only  thoughtless — is  that  it  ? " — '*  Yes,"  she  said, 
barely  audibly. — "  I  will  put  the  best  construction  I 
can  on  that.  And  now,  Ida,  be  honest.  You  have 
much  to  make  amends  for,  Ida.  We  will  not  part  in 
anger.  I  am  sorry  for  you,  my  poor  child,  but  we 
cannot  remain  together.  Your  mother  is  here,  and 
will  take  you  away  with  her."  Frau  Schulz  came  in. 
Ida  turned  away.     We  left  the  two  alone  together. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  Frau  Schulz  came  down- 
stairs again.  She  was  very  quiet.  My  husband,  who 
had  really  prepared  himself  for  a  violent  alt^cation, 
and  had  hedged  himself  round  with  all  manner  of  le- 
gal devices  in  our  favour,  expected  nothing  less  than 
this  complete  change  of  position,  which  held  out  hopes 
for  a  peaceful  solution  of  this  more  than  burning 
question. 

"  She  neither  could  nor  would  absolve  her  daughter 
from  blame,"  she  expressed  herself,  although  there 
might  have  been  mistakes  on  both  sides.  Idiss  had 
acted  unadvisedly  ;  all  the  more  so,  because,  to  judge 
from  the  attentions  of  her  partners,  her  daughter  must 
have  been  a  great  favourite.  Three  magnificent  bou- 
quets ought  not  to  be  under-estimated.  Then  she 
asked  what  sort  of  a  person  Herr  Kleines  was.  I  re- 
ferred her  to  the  Police-lieutenant,  who  would  be 
able  to  give  accurate  information. 


Building  Projects.  203 

She  may  try  her  luck,  but  every  registry  office  would 
revolt  against  bringing  those  two  together.  If,  on  the 
other  hand,  she  imagined  that  I  kept  a  marriage  bu- 
reau, she  was  in  the  same  predicament  as  the  man  who 
took  Bliicher  for  a  defunct  tenor,  because  he  was 
placed  close  to  the  opera-house. 

Doris  was  sent  off  for  a  commissionaire,  and  mother 
and  daughter  left  the  house.  Frau  Schulz  did  not  in- 
sist further  on  her  thousand  marks,  and  as  she  had 
not  paid  me  for  the  girl's  board  at  all  yet,  this  point 
likewise  was  not  mooted.  She  was  a  veritable  slow- 
worm  in  the  matter  of  moneys  to  be  paid  by  her. 

That  evening,  for  the  first  time  for  ever  so  long,  my 
husband  forgot  his  district  club,  and  Doris  sang  away 
in  the  kitchen.  I  went  to  her  and  asked  her  why  she 
was  so  merry. — "  It's  too  fine,  this  building,"  she  an- 
swered. "We  shall  see  some  life  about  the  courtyard 
now,  and  then  that  Schulz  girl  is  not  standing  behind 
one  everywhere  any  longer.  O  Lord  !  Idiss  was  her 
name,  and  that  was  about  all  she  had  to  boast  of.  A 
horse  might  have  been  her  godfather." 

"  Doris,"  I  turned  that  subject  aside,  "  as  there  are 
workmen  in  the  house,  one  of  them  might  take  a  look 
at  the  range  when  he  has  time.  It  has  often  smoked 
very  badly." — "  There  was  quite  another  reason  for 
the  smoke,"  laughed  Doris.  "  When  Madame  showed 
herself,  Idiss,  who's  now  gone  for  good,  used  to  take  a 
big  piece  of  firewood,  and  fill  the  kitchen  with  its 
smoke.  That  played  the  mischief' with  the  asthma, 
and  Madame  had  to  go.  Well,  I  do  say  that  she  was  a 
real  deep  one.  However,  it  can't  hurt  the  range  to  be 
freshened  up  a  bit.  A  half-day's  work  over  it  will  do 
it  good." 

"  It  was  simply  sinful  the  way  she  knocked  the  things 
about,"  I  was  forced  to  allow  with  much  head-shaking. 


204  Frau   Wilheltnine.    • 

"  And  shall  we  be  taking  another  fresh  Idiss  ? " 
asked  Doris. 

"  No  ;  if  uselessness  be  all  that  one  can  claim  from 
a  person  who  contributes  towards  the  expenses,  I  have 
been  forced  to  enjoy  more  of  that  article  than  I  could 
."xave  had  any  idea  of  up  to  the  present  time.  People 
must  not  want  too  much  of  a  good  thing,  Doris." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  say." 


BACK  FROM  SCHOOL. 

Acquaintances  more  closely  looked  into — About  elegant  conversa- 
tion, with  intersprinkling  of  foreign  words — Why  Mila  cannot 
get  acclimatised  and  Wilhelmine  will  not  dance — About  a  minor 
state  of  siege  and  optical  delusions —Why  cannibals  are  sup- 
ported and  people  bite  themselves — How  educated  folk  behave 
and  how  the  post  discovers  people. 

I  ADMIT  that  the  Police-lieutenant's  wife  had  fre- 
quently intimated  to  me  in  private  that  a  revolution 
would  take  place  as  soon  as  her  daughter  had  returned 
from  her  Swiss  boarding-school ;  but  as  to  what  she 
really  intended,  that  was  only  put  into  words  a  couple 
of  days  before  the  expected  arrival,  for  she  probably 
thought,  that  if  anybody  wants  to  offend  anybody  else, 
it  is  more  agreeable  to  do  so  gently  and  gradually  than 
suddenly  and  at  once. 

**  You  see,  dear  Frau  Buchholz,"  she  said^  "  I  fear 
that  I  shall  be  obliged  to  look  more  closely  into  the 
list  of  our  acquaintances  as  they  stand  at  present,  on 
my  Mila's  account ;  for  of  what  avail  are  the  most  re- 
fined manners,  if  the  child  is  to  relapse  into  ordinary 
habits  ?  If  one  considers  the  immense  outlay  merely  in 
extra  charges  for  private  lessons  and  the  external  re- 


Back  from  School.  205 

quirements  of  society,  one  is  anxious  that  such  enor- 
mous expenses  should  not  have  been  incurred  for 
nothing." 

"  You  might  as  well  throw  the  money  into  the  Spree 
at  once,"  I  answered  ;  "  then  you  would  at  least  hear 
the  splash  it  made  !  " 

"  Oh,  no,"  she  answered  rather  snappishly ;  "  you 
make  a  radical  mistake  about  my  Mila  !  Nothing  has 
been  thrown  away  on  her.  She  is  bringing  a  marvel- 
lous dress-improver  with  her  ;  but  who  can  tell  whether 
it  will  keep  in  its  place  ?  " — "  I  should  sew  on  a  broad 
piece  of  tape  to  strengthen  it.  Fancy  the  horror  of  a 
possible  slip!" — "How — on  Mila's  part?" — "No;  of 
the  avalanche  that  might  come  thundering  down  be- 
hind her." — "  Oh,  ah  !  Really,  it  is  \\2s6\y  comme  il  faut 
to  allude  to  such  secrets," — "  But  they  are  worn." — 
"Deportment  requires  that  they  should  be.  But  I 
rather  intended  to  convey  that  the  extreme  perfection 
which  Mila  has  acquired  may  perhaps  be  lost  if  her 
companions  have  no  understanding  for  it.  What  use 
will  the  most  perfect  Parisian  accent  be  to  her,  if  it 
falls  on  stony  ground  ?  " 

"  Let  it  fall,"  I  said,  to  reassure  her ;  "  you  and  I 
have  got  through  the  world  without  it.  And  indeed, 
now  especially,  when  half  the  bills  of  fare  are  written  in 
German,  it  is  as  good  as  useless.  You  need  not  have 
spent  anything  upon  that." 

"  It  would  be  difficult  for  our  opinions  ever  to  coin- 
cide on  that  point,"  said  the  wife  of  the  Police-lieu- 
tenant, and  drew  herself  up  majestically.  "  Every  one 
has  his  own  ideas  about  distinction.  It  will  be  my 
business  to  see  that  she  is  kept  up  to  the  mark,  and 
does  not  contract  the  manners  of  a  rustic." 

"  Contract  the  manners  of  a  rustic  is  perhaps  a  little 
severe  ! "  I  ventured   to   interpose. — "  Certainly   not. 


■::\-~-^.^^^^ 


206  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

The  other  day  I  was  at  a  party,  and  when  the  young 
people  were  dancing  later,  two  men  had  to  hold  the 
sideboard  steady,  otherwise  the  bust  of  the  Apollo 
Belvedere  would  have  tumbled  on  our  heads." — "The 
architect  was  probably  to  blame  for  that.  Nowadays 
they  build  everything  so  thin  and  tottery." — "  A  per- 
son possessed  of  grace  can  dance  upon  a  rope  without 
anything  falling  down  ;  but  then  the  art  can  only  be 
acquired  from  the  French.     They  are  always  chic." 

"  I  can  well  believe  that  French  manners  and  cus- 
toms suit  French  women  excellently  well,"  I  answered  ; 
"  but  it  is  an  open  question  as  to  whether  their  style 
of  manners  would  do  for  others.  Uncle  Fritz  thinks, 
too,  that  it  would  not  be  desirable  to  plume  ourselves 
on  our  ape-like  aptitude  for  copying  the  French." — 
^^ Naturellement"  she  exclaimed,  *'  he  knows  everything 
better  than  others  !  But  he  will  be  astounded.  Of 
course  I  expect  him  to  circumscribe  his  expressions 
somewhat,  as  indeed  I  hope  that  our  acquaintances 
generally  will  help  me  in  showing  the  respect  due  to 
my  daughter." 

Her  personal  offensiveness  was  comprehensible  to 
me  without  the  aid  of  a  telephone,  but  I  considered  it 
right  to  swallow  down  the  anger  that  came  bubbling 
up,  and  left  her  for  the  present  to  wait  for  an  answer. 

In  the  days  when  it  was  a  question  of  saving  her 
Mila  from  the  snares  of  Herr  Kleines,  I  was  good 
enough  for  her  ;  and  when  anything  goes  wrong  with 
her  now,  she  comes  to  borrow  experience  from  me — 
a  thing  which  one  is  willing  enough  to  give,  because 
one  has  it — and  now  it  turns  out  all  of  a  sudden  to 
have  been  plunder.  For  what  was  the  long  and  short 
of  her  many  words  ?  "  Buchholzes,  you  are  not  suffi- 
ciently cultivated  for  us,  for  our  daughter  has  been 
educated  in  a  boarding-school !  " 


Back  from  School.  207 

In  former  days  there  certainly  would  have  been  a 
summons  ;  but  as  one  grows  older,  one  ponders  over 
the  unseasonable,  and  considers  consequences.  It  is 
easier  to  get  angry  than  to  be  reconciled  ;  and  where 
a  rent  has  been  made  in  friendship,  the  patches  are 
always  visible. 

Immediately  after  this  she  became  very  pressing, 
and  insisted  that  we  should  take  part  in  the  festivities 
she  was  going  to  have  on  Mila's  return,  and  especially 
emphasized  :  "  Your  brother  must  not  fail  us.  I 
should  be  glad  for  him  to  convince  himself  how  un- 
justifiable his  verdict  is.  It  is  only  a  French  education 
that  teaches  one  the  true  savoir-vivre" — "  I  suppose 
she  knows  all  about  it,"  I  thought,  and  assented. 

I  kept  from  my  husband  the  conversation  I  had  had 
with  Frau  PoliccTlieutenant,  partly  to  obviate  the  mis- 
understanding that  it  certainly  would  have  raised, 
partly  because  I  felt  convinced  that  this  kind  of  high- 
and-mightiness  would  be  sure  to  abate.  But  I  did 
give  a  message  to  Uncle  Fritz  to  the  effect  that  he 
must  watch  himself  more  carefully,  if  he  wished  to 
find  further  favour  in  her  eyes.  However,  he  laughed 
and  said  :  "  Wilhelmine,  let  us  hope  that  at  least  she 
won't  drop  her  food  about !  " 

It  did  strike  me  as  being  remarkable  that  Mila 
should  return  in  the  middle  of  term-time,  and  let  slip 
a  half  quarter's  education  paid  in  advance.  But  it 
was  of  course  possible  that  she  had  completely  fin- 
ished learning  ;  and  I  did  not  care  to  inquire,  for  when 
a  person  does  not  intend  to  tell  the  truth,  he  says 
something  else,  which  leaves  the  questioner  as  wise  as 
he  was  before.  Later,  however,  a  Bengal  light  was 
thrown  on  this  darkness. 

It  was  very  fortunate  that  I  had  no  need  to  get  any- 
thing new,  although  extra  exertions  would  probably 


2o8  Frau   Wilhehnine. 

be  expected.  They  are  hardly  so  very  high,  that  my 
brown  moir^  would  not  be  quite  dress  enough. 

The  great  day  arrived.  Mila  had  arrived  the  even- 
ing before,  and  her  solemn  introduction  could  now 
take  place. 

We  were  invited  for  eight  o'clock.  My  Carl  ven- 
tured on  a  fly,  for  it  had  been  raining  so  heavily  for 
some  time,  that  the  stones  had  begun  to  get  soft. 
Since  science  has  taken  up  with  the  weather,  it  is 
rarely  dry  when  one  wants  it  ;  but  that  is  the  case 
with  everything  that  learned  men  turn  their  hands  to 
— they  are  too  unpractical.  Uncle  Fritz  said  at  once 
that  he  would  not  take  his  wife  in  such  bad  weather, 
so  he  appeared  later  on  all  by  himself. 

When  we  entered  the  room  I  saw  at  a  glance  that 
our  hostess  was  a  gulf  beyond  me  in  the  matter  of 
toilette.  She  glittered  towards  us  in  a  moss-green 
plush,  gold  beetle  shoes,  and  a  coiffure  that  had  been 
constructed  by  a  professional  hair-dresser.  A  pano- 
rama could  not  give  a  more  literal  description  of  her. 

At  such  moments  the  astonished  gaze  must  be  a 
silent  one,  therefore  I  did  not  say  a  word,  though  she 
seemed  to  have  a  burning  desire  that  I  should  burst 
forth  into  extraordinary  sentiments  regarding  her 
adornment.  However,  I  behaved  the  whole  evening 
as  if  the  dress  were  an  old  acquaintance  of  mine,  which 
was  visibly  displeasing  to  her  ;  but  where  aristocratic 
manners  are  expected,  people  do  not  talk  about  the 
outward  appearance. 

As  I  was  about  to  greet  Mila  in  my  old  accustomed 
fashion,  she  made  me  a  curtsey,  with  one  step  back- 
wards and  deep  inclination  of  the  upper  portion  of 
the  body  forwards,  so  that  I  involuntarily  exclaimed  : 
"  Good  gracious,  Mila  ! "  Upon  this  she  recovered 
herself,  and  gave  me  her  hand.     "  I  am  sure  you  are 


Back  from  School*  209 

pleased  to  be  back  home  again  ?  " — "  Ah,"  she  answered, 
"it  will  be  difficult  for  me  to  become  acclimatised! 
Chere  maman  must  modify  much,  si  cela  doit  me  convenir. 
One-o'clock  dijeHner  and  six-o'clock  diner  has  become 
d' usage — how  does  one  express  it  ? — second  nature  to 
me.  Cher  papa  will  learn  to  accommodate  himself, 
though  he  does  say  that  it  won't  do." — "  Formerly  you 
liked  our  ordinary  customs  well  enough." — "  O  mon 
Dieu"  she  exclaimed,  "  I  had  not  seen  the  world  then  ! 
But  will  you  permit  me  to.present  to  you  one  of  my 
school-friends,  who  remains  here  for  some  weeks  to 
afford  me  opportunities  for  conversation  ?  " 

She  hopped  away,  and  brought  back  a  young  girl 
with  her,  who  was  dressed  like  Mila  in  rose-coloured 
poplin,  wore  just  the  same  high-heeled  rose-coloured 
shoes,  and  looked  very  nice  up  to  her  eyes,  which  had 
a  slight  squint.  I  did  not  discover  really  what  her 
name  was,  as  Mila  now  set  to  work  with  true  Parisian 
elegance,  and  the  other  girl  assisted  her  with  great 
loquacity. 

While  I  was  considerably  embarrassed  by  the  incom- 
prehensibility of  their  chatter,  the  Police-lieutenant's 
wife  was  positively  transfixed  with  ecstasy,  although 
I  have  my  doubts  as  to  whether  she  could  follow  it 
thoroughly,  for  she  listened  with  suspicious  attention 
to  every  word,  and  her  grin  of  approval  suffered  from 
noticeable  uncertainty. 

As  a  means  of  escape  from  this  discomfort,  there 
were  several  guests  on  hand,  whose  acquaintance  one 
had  to  make  ;  so  with  the  words,  "  You  know  it  beau- 
tifully, Mila,"  I  separated  from  the  two  rose-coloured 
friends  and  their  parley-vooing,  in  order  first  of  all  to 
be  introduced  to  people  in  the  lump. 

Many  of  the  faces  were  quite  strange  to  me,  but  as 
it  was  not  the  correct  thing  to  ask  who  they  might  be, 


fSX-  •    ^w*? 


210  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

I  sat  down  and  drank  a  cup  of  tea  which  was  handed 
to  me  by  a  white-gloved  hired  waiter. 

"  One  cannot  go  very  much  beyond  a  hired  waiter,' 
I  thought,  and  made  myself  acquainted  gradually  with 
my  neighbours. 

The  lady  sitting  beside  me  on  the  sofa,  certainly 
gave  one  the  impression  of  having  been  re-dyed.  But 
she  was  not  at  all  bashful ;  on  the  contrary,  she  asked 
me  at  once  to  join  a  Dogs'  Home  society  to  which  she 
belonged. 

"  Estimable  Frau  Lehmann,"  I  parried  her  request, 
"human  beings  come  first  with  me,  and  then  animals." 
— "We  accept  the  smallest  offerings,"  she  appealed  to 
me  further  ;  "  at  all  events,  I  may  send  you  half-a- 
dozen  tickets  for  our  next  evening  entertainment  with 
a  little  dance  ? — the  net  profits  are  destined  for  the 
Home.' 

"  No,"  I  said,  "  I  do  not  dance  for  dogs.  But  to  pre- 
vent you  thinking  that  I  am  stingy,  I  will  send  you  a 
donation,  and  persuade  my  husband  to  do  the  same." 
Upon  this  she  gave  me  her  visiting  card,  from  which 
I  learned  that  her  name  was  not  Lehmann  at  all,  as  I 
believed  that  I  had  heard,  but  that  she  wrote  herself 
Lemoin.  "  I  presume  that  your  name  is  spelt  accord- 
ing to  the  newest  orthography  ?  "  I  asked  her  jesting- 
ly.— "We  come  from  the  colonies,"  she  said. 

Her  husband  was  a  teacher  of  the  French  language, 
she  explained  further,  and  had  to  brush  up  Mila's 
knowledge  ;  for,  between  ourselves,  she  was  inexcusa- 
bly wanting  in  grammar,  and  surely  that  was  the 
principal  thing.  Did  I  perhaps  know  of  a  couple  more 
scholars,  they  would  be  very  welcome  to  her  just  now, 
as  times  were  bad.  Owing  to  the  association  she 
could  not  devote  herself  to  her  household  as  she  would 
like,  but  if  she  gave  herself  no  trouble,  nothing  would 


-tf:-^^;jf!l^:r;^V-^:-^:'..rj..-;/     ""-   ^:^,;>  ..■  .      '.' v;;;^;—  -\  '  .--'■y    .--.  ■  ■    ""  --■-'.■■■'■'    -■'■-"Si',  y'^ 


Back  from  School.  2 1 1 

be  done  for  the  poor  animals  ;  latterly  she  had  spent 
a  dreadful  amount  of  money  on  flies,  in  order  to  get 
hold  of  actors  for  the  representations  given  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  entertainment,  and  her  husband  had  been 
obliged  to  dine  at  the  hotel.  Some  lessons  would  be  a 
great  help  to  them. — I  quite  took  her  word  for  that. 

Now  came  Uncle  Fritz.  Mila  endeavoured  to  pro- 
duce a  great  impression  with  her  dancing-master  curt- 
sey, but  the  charm  did  not  work  with  him — he  had 
seen  too  many  ballets  for  that.  He  made  some  cour- 
teous remark  about  her  appearance,  in  which  he  was 
correct,  and  behaved  generally  speaking  as  if  she  had 
returned  from  a  short  journey  to  Rixdorf. 

After  greeting  each  other,  the  gentlemen  became 
absorbed  in  a  political  conversation  ;  and  when  they 
once  begin  on  that,  they  might  as  well  be  in  an  undis- 
covered quarter  of  the  globe  :  they  are  absolutely  un- 
approachable and  not  to  be  converted.  Why  is  it  not 
prohibited,  as  we  are  placed  in  a  minor  state  of  siege  ? 

In  order  to  enliven  the  ladies'  conversation,  Frau 
Police-lieutenant  showed  us  a  magnificent  bouquet 
which  had  been  sent  to  Mila  that  morning.  She  had 
pondered  long  over  the  question  from  whom  it  might 
have  come,  and  had  at  last  hit  upon  Amanda  Kulecke, 
whom  she  still  expected.  We  praised  Amanda  with 
one  accord  for  this  attention  ;  indeed  she  really  is  a 
splendid  girl,  though  she  may  be  a  little  too  tall  and 
remarkably  downright. 

Mila  hastened  frequently  to  the  entrance  to  see  wheth- 
er she  were  not  yet  coming,  until  her  mother  told  her 
that  she  really  might  remain  quietly  seated.  Her  trip- 
ping step  and  graceful  floating  in  apd  out  of  the  room 
certainly  was  objectionable,  especially  as  she  held  her- 
self as  if  she  wanted  to  say  :  **  Do  look  how  mon- 
strously genteel  I  am  in  my  movements  ! " 


J  ;r-3?»' 


212  Frau   Wilh'ebnine. 

She  was  much  too  affected  for  my  taste,  took  up 
everything  with  two  fingers  in  her  exaggerated  refine- 
ment, holding  the  others  up  and  far  apart,  as  if  they 
were  on  ithe  point  of  flying  off.  She  had  either  been 
too  long  in  the  educational  establishment  already,  or 
else  they  had  let  her  leave  it  too  early. 

Amanda  now  appeared.  Mila  rushed  towards  her 
and  embraced  her  so  warmly,  that  the  heartfelt  joy  of 
meeting  each  other  again  produced  quite  an  agreeable 
effect.  "  I  have  got  something  that  I  really  must  tell 
you,"  said  Mila,  endeavouring  to  draw  her  away  ;  but 
Amanda  answered  :  "  There  will  be  time  enough  for 
that,  child;  I  must  "first  make  my  excuses  to  your 
mother  for  having  come  so  late." 

"  You  have  a  long  way  to  come,"  Frau  Police-lieu- 
tenant remarked  graciously.  "  But  you  have  come, 
and  that  is  the  principal  thing.  Mila  has  been  quite 
longing  to  see  you,  to  thank  you  for  those  lovely 
flowers." 

"  Flowers  ?  "  Amanda  questioned  in  astonishment. 
"  What  flowers  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  was  speaking  of  this  magnificent  bouquet,"  the 
hostess  said,  and  pointed  to  the  costly  bunch  of  flowers. 

"  Nonsense  !  "  laughed  Amanda  ;  "  my  means  don't 
allow  me  to  indulge  in  luxuries  like  that." 

While  she  was  speaking,  Mila  kept  on  making  signs 
to  her,  and  exclaimed:  "You  are  pretending!  Just 
acknowledge  that  they  come  from  you  ! " 

"  Rubbish  !  "  Amanda  repeated  ;  "  not  a  bit  of  it !  " 
— "  Come,  come  !  "  Mila  insisted. 

The  general  attention  had  been  directed  towards 
this  discussion,  and  the  Police-lieutenant,  who  had  ap- 
proached the  ladies,  said  very  emphatically,  "We 
believe  that  the  flowers  came  from  you,  Fraulein 
Kulecke." 


Back  from  School.  213 

"It  was  an  optical  delusion,"  answered  Amanda. 

"  Have  you  no  idea  as  to  who  sent  them  ? "  the  father 
asked  Mila  sternly,  and  looked  at  her  with  severe 
scrutiny.  She  got  more  rose-coloured  than  her  dress, 
and  began  to  talk  French.  "  You  can  speak  German 
to  me." — Mila  shrugged  her  shoulders  and  was  silent. 

Personally  my  suspicion  fell  at  once  on  somebody 
who  manages  to  nestle  into  families  by  means  of  bou- 
quets and  such-like  courtesies,  but  I  kept  this  ray  of 
light  to  myself.  The  Police-lieutenant  was  so  upset, 
that  it  seemed  advisable  to  make  no  further  stir  about 
it.  Perhaps  he,  too,  was  of  my  opinion  ;  but  notwith- 
standing divers  allusions,  I  behaved  like  the  Sphinx, 
who  strews  sand  on  the  most  important  questions, 
without  moving  a  feature. 

As  Amanda  had  arrived,  we  could  sit  down  to  table. 
The  places  had  been  arranged  in  such  a  manner  that 
all  those  who  were  well  up  in  French  sat  together, 
while  the  other  end  did  not  need  to  put  any  restraint 
on  itself,  and  was  allowed  to  talk  commonplace  Ger- 
man. 

Uncle  Fritz  soon  set  the  conversation  going,  and 
told  us  that  a  man  could  become  a  large  landed  pro- 
prietor in  Africa  for  fifty  marks  ;  he  had  the  greatest 
inclination  to  take  part  in  it,  and  what  did  the  others 
think  about  it  ? 

The  Dogs'  Home  lady  thought  that  there  were 
problems  to  be  solved  which  lay  nearer  to  us.  Until 
the  Dogs'  Home  had  been  called  into  existence,  she 
could  feel  no  interest  whatever  in  endeavours  towards 
colonisation. 

Uncle  Fritz  explained  that  for  his  part  he  expected 
great  things  from  the  colonies  ;  it  was  only  the  other 
day  that  he  had  sent  to  the  South  Seas  a  big  box  full 
of  cheap  bronze  men-at-arms,  each  one  having  a  ban- 


214  Frail    Wilhclmine. 

ner  on  which  was  written  :  "  No  ceremony,"  *  as  they 
could  not  be  got  rid  of  here  owing  to  the  quantities 
in  which  they  were  produced  ! — "  I  call  that  giving 
superfluous  support  to  cannibalism  !  "  Amanda  Ku- 
lecke  exclaimed  angrily. — "  Not  so,"  Uncle  Fritz  an- 
swered :  "  the  figures  give  greater  pleasure  to  the 
savages  than  to  us,  as  they  have  already  artistically 
improved  the  process  of  distillation.  And  it  was  high 
time  that  the  Camerooners  should  be  made  happy  by 
means  of  our  Middle  Ages." 

This  discussion  was  accompanied  by  perch  with 
melted  butter  and  boiled  potatoes,  the  latter  of  which 
had  been  kept  standing  rather  too  long.  While  the 
plates  were  being  changed,  Herr  Lemoin  rose  and 
proposed  a  toast  in  French.  This  was  probably  the 
culminating  point  of  the  grandeur,  to  attain  which  he 
had  been  invited,  notwithstanding  his  Want  of  clean- 
liness. Mila  looked  her  approbation  at  each  sentence, 
and  her  mother  behaved  as  if  she  also  were  capable 
of  passing  judgment  on  it,  with  the  single  difference 
that  when  Mila  nodded  to  the  right,  she  nodded  to  the 
left.  I  admit  that  French  is  very  useful  when  peo- 
ple communicate  secrets  on  post-cards,  which  the 
domestics  are  not  intended  to  decipher,  or  for  school- 
work,  but  it  is  somewhat  defective  when  used  as 
a  vehicle  for  table-talk.  I  understood  nothing  of  it, 
but  as  it  is  his  business,  I  took  no  further  offence. 
The  man  must  live,  you  know.  Then  we  had  a  saddle  of 
roebuck  and  turkey,  both  fairly  well  flavoured,  but,  as 
we  soon  discovered  on  tasting  them,  they  had  been 
sent  in  from  an  eating-house,  and  the  sauces  were 
handed    wrongly   as    usual.      The    Police-lieutenant, 

*  Genothigt  wird  nicht.  An  announcement  often  seen  displayed, 
as  indicated,  on  Berlin  tables,  to  imply  that  visitors  are  left  to  take 
what  they  like. — Trans. 


Back  from  School.  2 1 5 

who  noticed  this,  therefore  said  to  Mila,  who  sat 
obliquely  opposite  him,  "  Hand  me  the  sauce  for  the 
turkey";  whereupon  she,  to  show  her  willing  affec- 
tion, jumped  up  quickly  and  reached  the  sauce-boat 
across,  with  the  words,  "  Voild,  papa"  But  in  her 
haste,  or  perhaps  the  graceful  pose  of  her  fingers  got 
in  the  way,  bang  went  the  voila  on  to  the  table  in  the 
middle  of  the  green-gages,  which  were  to  have  been 
handed  later. 

"All  the  more  room  when  things  are  well  packed," 
exclaimed  Uncle  Fritz,  meaning  to  put  an  end  to  the 
incident  with  an  innocent  jest ;  but  he  had  made  a 
mistake — it  was  not  in  its  place  here,  for  Mila  pushed 
away  her  chair  from  the  table,  flung  it  over  in  her  rage 
and  hurried  into  the  adjoining  room,  accompanied  by 
a  universal  stare. 

Her  friend  remained  anxiously  seated,  and  squinted 
dreadfully  in  front  of  her.  She  only  speaks  such 
broken  German  that  nobody  can  be  a  whit  the  wiser 
for  the  fragments,  nor  had  she  understood  what  really 
happened,  so  that  she  was  obliged  to  make  shift  with 
looking  miserable.  Of  course  it  was  not  pleasant  for 
any  one  of  us  ;  for,  although  our  hostess  showed  no  / 

outward  signs  of  disturbance,  I  noticed  incontestably 
how  vexed  she  was  internally,  and  how  she  exerted 
herself  to  appear  indifferent.  What  else  would  ac- 
count for  her  getting  red  and  white  alternately,  and 
chewing  away  at  her  under-lip  ?  When  a  human  being 
bites  himself,  he  is  simply  raving. 

Mila  remained  away.  Amanda  endeavoured  to 
soothe  her,  but  without  success.  '*  I  do  not  know  what 
I  have  done  to  her  !  "  Amanda  complained  on  her  re- 
turn. "  Mila  inveighed  against  me  as  a  faithless  be- 
trayer, and  hit  at  me  with  the  heel  of  her  shoe.  I 
should  not  have  expected  such  treatment  from  her." — 


2l6  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

This  communication  was  by  no  means  adapted  to  in- 
crease the  general  enjoyment. 

Meanwhile  the  hired  waiter  had  covered  over  the 
accident  with  a  fresh  napkin,  and  placed  an  apple-tart 
upon  it,  which  seemed  to  look  very  nice,  I  admit,  but 
which  nevertheless  had  not  risen  properly.  Well,  I 
partook  of  it  in  order  to  offend  nobody,  but  I  really 
could  not  praise  it. 

When  supper  was  finished  the  gentlemen  adjourned 
to  the  smoking-room,  and  we  ladies  remained  by  our- 
selves. 

Frau  Police-lieutenant  had  disappeared,  probably 
to  deliver  a  sermon  to  Mila,  and  verily  she  did  not 
require  a  pulpit  for  the  purpose.  My  own  opin- 
ion is  that  Mila  had  not  been  properly  grounded 
before  she  was  sent  away.  Her  character  had  been 
neglected,  and  so  the  education  would  not  stick  prop- 
erly. 

Amanda  sat  down  beside  me,  and  was  quite  unable 
to  set  her  mind  at  rest  about  Mila's  behaviour.  "  Do 
you  consider  that  well-bred  ?  "  asked  Amanda. — "  Oh, 
no  ;  the  truly  cultured  person  makes  no  noise  !  He 
neither  flings  chairs  about  nor  administers  blows." — 
"  But  how  could  she  so  forget  herself  ? " — "  It  was  on 
account  of  the  flowers,"  I  whispered  to  her. — "  How 
so  ?  " — "  Mila  wished  you  to  say  that  the  bouquet  had 
been  sent  by  you.  Did  you  not  notice  how  she  was 
winking  at  you  ?  " — "  How  can  I  know  what  her  in- 
tentions were  ? " — "  You  have  not  learnt  such  tricks, 
and  it  is  no  harm  that  you  have  not.  Perhaps  it  may 
be  better  for  the  mother  to  discover  now  at  once  what 
o'clock  it  is,  than  when  it  may  be  too  late.  So  much, 
however,  I  do  say,  she  will  tempt  me  in  vain  for  the 
future  ;  I  do  not  mean  to  go  on  the  war-trail  again. 
Self-sacrifice  is  thrown  away  with   such   people."  — 


Back  from  School.  217 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? " — "  Nothing,  Amanda  ;  I  was 
only  thinking  of  something  !  " 

The  gentlemen  had  finished  their  smoke,  coffee  had 
been  partaken  of,  and  there  was  nothing  to  interfere 
with  the  return  home.  Frau  Police-lieutenant  showed 
considerably  more  sense  than  she  had  done  before,  for 
she  said  to  me  in  confidence  :  "  There  will  be  much  to 
improve.  Mila  has  brought  back  a  good  many  things 
with  her  that  do  not  please  me." — "  She  will  get  on 
the  right  track  again,"  I  said  by  way  of  consolation. — 
"  And  you  will  be  sure  not  to  forget  us  ? " 

As  it  had  turned  out  a  starlight  night,  Amanda  joined 
our  party  as  far  as  the  nearest  cab-stand,  from  whence 
she  drove  to  the  Biilow-strasse.  To  have  a  double 
night  journey  and  be  kicked  into  the  bargain,  is  what 
I  call  unpleasant. 

My  Carl  now  told  me  that  the  Police-lieutenant 
quite  intended  to  solve  the  riddle  as  to  who  had  sent 
the  bouquet,  even  if  he  had  to  make  a  reconnoitring 
tour  through  every  flower-shop. — "  Has  he  possibly  a 
suspicion  of  anybody  ?  " — "  He  conjectures  that  it  may 
be  Herr  Kleines,  for  Mila  had  to  leave  the  boarding- 
school  in  the  middle  of  the  term,  owing  to  the  con- 
tinuance of  her  correspondence  with  him.  Besides 
this,  he  made  a  business  tour  in  Switzerland,  on  which 
occasion  he  visited  her.  Her  father  brought  Mila  into 
his  immediate  neighbourhood,  in  order  to  have  her 
under  his  supervision ;  and  notwithstanding  this,  he 
is  unable  to  watch  over  her." 

"  So  that  is  the  reason  ?  What  is  the  use  of  sending 
people  away  ?  The  post  is  too  quick  at  discovering 
them.  It  really  ought  to  be  absolutely  forbidden." — 
"  That  certainly  would  be  an  effectual  measure." — 
"  However,  Herr  Kleines  really  is  inexcusable  !  "  I  ex- 
claimed.— "  I    like    him,"   contradicted    Uncle   Fritz. 


"■  ~WS?'~5fy!'?T5*fiy 


21 8  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

"  Had  it  not  been  for  his  offering  of  flowers,  we  should 
probably  have  had  to  wait  some  little  time  for  the 
blow  that  told  to  Mila's  disadvantage.  It  has  now 
been  proved  that  she  is  just  a  little  overspread  with 
veneer.  As  soon  as  she  loses  her  temper,  the  polish 
disappears." — "  There  is  still  something  of  the  Lands- 
berger-strasse  remaining  in  her,"  I  answered;  "she 
will  pull  herself  together  again.  Good-night,  Fritz  ; 
here  we  are  at  home.  Give  my  love  to  Erica,  and  tell 
her,  that  if  the  weather  continues  fine,  I  shall  expect 
her  to-morrow  afternoon,  or  else  I  will  pay  you  a  short 
visit — that  will  do  just  as  well.  Fritz,  be  glad  that 
your  wife  had  not  to  be  sent  to  a  boarding-school ! " 


THE  KRAUSES. 


About  the  archceopterix  and  the  devil — About  Greek,  Latin,  and  dia- 
monds— Herr  Krause  as  despot — Frau  Buchholz  as  the  lion's 
friend. 

The  building  ran  its  course  for  the  present,  and 
only  encroached  on  my  domain  so  far  as 'the  cellar  and 
boiler  were  concerned  ;  but  so  much  is  certain,  that 
nothing  more  desperate  can  be  conceived  than  masons 
in  or  about  a  house.  Only  those  who  have  suffered 
from  the  infliction  themselves  are  entitled  to  speak  ; 
those  who  do  so  without  experience,  and  do  not  agree 
with  me,  deserve  to  have  them  quartered  upon  them. 
This  plague  was  spared  to  Egypt. 

I  expressed  myself  the  other  day  to  this  effect  at  the 
Krauses,  for  one  could  but  assume  that  it  would  flatter 
a  master  if  one  remembered  school-teachings,  proving 
thereby  that  a  good  deal  of  knowledge  is  retained. 


The  Krauses.  219 


But  he  knew  better  how  things  had  gone,  and  flung 
Pharaoh  and  all  his  mishaps  to  the  winds. 

"  Research  has  arrived  at  results  that  are  in  crying 
contradiction  to  tradition,"  he  said. — "  He  who  cries 
is,  generally  speaking,  in  the  wrong,"  I  answered. — 
"Science  never  errs,  because  it  proves.  In  former 
days  people  learnt  from  books  ;  now,  on  the  contrary, 
they  are  taught  by  nature,  straight  from  the  crust  of 
the  earth  which  preserves  the  testimonies  of  the  past." 
— "  From  the  earth  ?  Then  I  suppose  that  an  inordi- 
nate amount  of  intelligence  has  been  thrown  up  in  the 
process  of  drainage  ?  " 

"  Dear  lady,  you  misapprehend  science,"  retorted 
Herr  Krause  ;  * "  the  aim  it  has  in  view  is  to  prove 
that  every  species  of  being  has  been  evolved  grad- 
ually. It  could  not  tell  us  for  a  long  time  from  what 
birds  had  descended,  but  it  has  now  been  demon- 
strated by  the  discovery  of  the  archceopterix  that  they 
proceed  from  reptiles." — "What  do  you  mean  by  rep- 
tiles ?  " — "  Lizards,  frogs- " — "  Herr   Krause,   with 

all  due  deference  to  your  superior  knowledge,  I  should 
like  to  see  the  frog  which  could  prove  itself  to  be  the 
father  of,  let  us  say,  a  wagtail.  Possibly  lizards  may 
be  in  a  position  to  do  so  ;  but  I  fear  that  it  would  give 
them  too  much  trouble," — "  The  changes  were  accom- 
plished very  gradually  during  periods  extending  over 
millions  of  years,  until  at  last  man  formed  the  last 
link  of  the  chain.  The  archcBopterix  is  one  member  of 
our  common  line  of  ancestors,  and  it  affirms  anew  the 
fact  that  everything  living  has  originated  naturally, 
and  not  been  made  by  a  creator.  We  are  happily  rid 
of  old  wives'  superstitions." 

"Herr  Krause,"  I  replied  to  his  over-confidence, 
"  you  pleased  me  better  before  yoii  adopted  these  an- 
tics.    Confess  yourself  that  you  are  no  longer  as  con- 


•.:f*"as 


220  Frau  WUhelmine. 

tented  as  formerly.  You  used  to  be  much  merrier." — 
"  Is  that  to  be  wondered  at,  when  one  cannot  get  on 
beyond  a  trifle  of  fixed  salary  ?  Have  we  no  cause  to 
be  vexed,  when  we  see  the  standard  of  luxury  rising 
all  around  us,  when  others  enjoy  life  in  all  directions, 
and  we  have  to  be  contented,  though  we  possess 
a  thousandfold  more  knowledge  ?  And  when  life 
has  come  to  an  end,  what  have  we  got  out  of  it  ? 
The  knowledge  that  it  was  not  worth  having  been 
begun." 

"  Then  it  must  be  all  one  whether  people  find  out 
from  what  the  birds  are  evolved  or  not  ?  " — "  You  re- 
fer to  the  archcBopterix  ?  You  may  estimate  the  high 
value  that  has  been  placed  upon  it  by  the  fact  that  it 
has  been  sold  to  England  for  five-and-twenty  thou- 
sand marks." — "  Old  things  fetch  unreasonably  high 
prices  !  "  I  retorted.  "  But  it  may  be  possible  that  a 
vegetable  diet  has  affected  your  spleen,  Herr  Krause, 
since  you  have  abjured  meat." — "Vegetarianism  is  ab- 
solutely conformable  to  nature,"  he  defended  himself. 
"  Fruits  formed  the  nutriment  of  our  ancestors." — 
**  Indeed  !  And  where  may  that  have  been  ?  It  was 
just  on  account  of  eating  fruit  that  Adam  and  Eve 
were  sent  across  the  border." — "  If  you  persist  in  a 
point  of  view  that  has  been  so  completely  exploded,  I 
am  afraid  that  I  must  give  up  further  discussion,"  he 
retorted  rudely.  "  Does  not  progress  exist  for  you  ? 
For  all  I  know,  you  may  still  believe  in  the  devil." — 
*'  Don't  you  ?  " — "  How  can  .you  believe  in  a  bogey 
like  that  in  our  enlightened  age — a  phantom  with 
claws  and  tails  and  horns  ?  Just  fancy,"  he  exclaimed 
aloud  to  the  rest  of  the  company,  "  the  devil  still  ex- 
ists in  all  seriousness  for  Frau  Buchholz  !  " 

*'  Why  not  ?  "  I  answered.  "  Perhaps  he  would  not 
be  nearly  so  bad,  if  only  he  were  properly  tamed."     I 


The  Krauses.  221 


was  not  going  to  be  put  down  before  Frau  Krause, 
who  was  already  looking  high  and  mighty, 

"  He  has  carried  off  a  good  many  already,"  Frau 
Bergfeldt  upheld  me. 

I  must  explain  that  we  were  all  at  the  Krauses', 
whose  son  Edward  had  just  been  confirmed,  and  they 
wished  to  celebrate  this  chapter  in  his  life.  Frau 
Krause  told  me  that  her  husband  considered  it  nar- 
row-minded, but  as  Edward  was  soon  going  off  to  sea, 
which  was  so  malignantly  dangerous,  she  looked  upon 
it  as  her  duty  to  neglect  nothing.  People  could  be 
sure  of  nothing.  She  is  in  dreadful  anxiety,  but  the 
boy  sticks  to  it  that  he  will  be  a  sailor.  A  ship  has 
been  decided  on,  too,  upon  which  he  is  to  make  his 
first  voyage. 

When  she  came  to  us  to  invite  us,  she  cried  pitifully, 
"  He  will  be  so  far  away  from  me,"  she  moaned,  "  and 
his  trunk  is  packed  already  !  Ah,  how  many  wishes  I 
have  folded  in  with  his  clothes  that  he  may  return  to 
us  in  safety  !  how  many  sighs  !  Who  will  take  care  of 
him  and  preserve  him  from  bad  companions  and  from 
drinking  brandy  ?  Sailors  play  the  most  dreadful 
pranks  with  their  health," — "Frau  Krause,"  I  said,  "if 
he  loves  his  parents  heartily,  he  will  always  be  think- 
ing about  them,  nor  will  he  do  anything  that  could 
cause  them  sorrow.  I  do  not  know  whether  they  have 
impressed  that  upon  him.  The  hour  is  sure  to  come, 
when  children  will  be  grown  up  and  sit  in  judgment 
on  their  parents,  as  to  whether  they  have  done  rightly 
by  them.  Then  comes  the  question  as  to  whether 
they  can  feel  the  heartiest  gratitude,  or  have  forcibly 
to  suppress  bitter  reproaches.  Not  that  I  mean  any- 
thing by  what  I  say  !  " 

"That  is  not  the  question  with  my  Edward.  Boys 
will  be  boys ;  they  are  not  always  sitting  round  the 


•■s^ry 


222  Frau   Wilhebnine. 

stoves  like  girls,  and  are  therefore  more  difficult  for 
those  t3  understand  who  have  none  themselves.  He 
happens  to  have  no  inclination  for  the  dead  languages, 
and  that  is  the  case  with  many." — "  Why  are  the  lan- 
guages not  buried,  if  they  are  dead?" — "  How  could 
a  scheme  of  study  be  drawn  up  under  such  cir- 
cumstances ? " — "  Something  living  might  possibly  be 
found  for  the  purpose." — "  But  how  is  one  to  under- 
stand the  German  speech  of  scholars,  without  know- 
ing Greek  and  Latin  ?  However,  Edward  always 
objected  to  scholars,  and  fled  to  Hamburg  in  order 
not  to  become  one.  And  since  that  time  all  his  desire 
has  been  towards  the  sea.  I  cannot  thwart  him;  but, 
however,  he  will  not  be  utterly  forsaken,  for  my  de- 
ceased mother  accompanies  him  as  guardian  angel." 
— "Who?" — "Have  you  never  heard  of  the  spiritual- 
ists?"— "Surely  not  the  table-turners?" — "There  is 
something  in  it,  Frau  Buchholz  ;  the  spirits  really  do 
manifest  themselves.  What  will  people  not  do  in  their 
distress  ?     I  was  advised  and  I  went. 

"  The  spirits  were  not  in  force  on  the  first  evening, 
but  the  second  time  they  wound  up  a  musical  box  in 
the  dark,  and  rapped  everywhere  and  did  all  sorts  of 
things.  The  third  evening  a  spirit  manifested  itself, 
and  that  was  my  deceased  mother." — "  In  the  regular 
way,  with  a  cold  hand  ?  " — "  No;  first  by  rapping  out 
the  words,  and  then  by  writing.  The  medium  was 
unconscious,  and  the  spirit  was  in  the  fingers  with 
which  she  held  the  pencil.  It  was  my  mother.  She 
wrote  my  name  accurately,  and  her  own  as  well,  and 
many  things  of  former  times." — "  But  perhaps  it  was 
all  an  imposture  !  " — "Impossible  I  A  professor  was 
present,  and  even  high  families  take  part  in  the  stances. 
They  are  conducted  on  strictly  scientific  principles. 
Will  you  not  go  once  and  be  convinced  ?  " — "  I  am 


The  Krauses.  223 


much  too  enlightened  for  that,  Frau  Krause ;  but  if  it 
tranquillizes  you  for  Edward  to  be  looked  after  by  a 
spiritual  nurse-maid,  I  am  very  glad  of  it." — And — 
would  you  believe  it  ? — that  offended  her  ! 

"  Edward  has  attained  the  regulation  height,  and 
seems  strong  enough  for  his  profession.  He  can 
scarcely  wait  for  the  time  when  he  is  to  be  off.  For- 
eign coasts  attract  him  so  much,"  said  Frau  Krause  ; 
"and  indeed  there  is  much  more  profit  in  watching 
elephants  and  llamas  in  their  natural  state  than  in 
captivity.  Is  that  not  so,  my  Edward  ?  And  if  he  is 
fortunate,  why  should  he  not  find  a  huge  lump  of  gold, 
or  a  number  of  diamonds  ?  Only,  you  must  be  very 
careful  that  they  are  not  stolen  from  you,  Edward  ;  it 
would  be  wisest  for  you  to  sew  them  into  your  lining 
— nobody  will  think  of  their  being  there  !  " 

My  husband  remarked,  that  being  a  cabin-boy,  it 
was  unlikely  that  opportunities  would  be  afforded 
him  of  watching  for  llamas  and  searching  for  gold — 
it  would  be  a  question  then  of  being  at  his  post. 
Captains  were  not  given  to  indulgence. 

"Blows  are  more  plentiful  than  ha'pence,"  Frau 
Bergfeldt  contributed  her  quota  of  nautical  experi- 
ence. "  If  any  does  not  obey,  he  gets  plenty  for  his 
back.  A  distant  cousin  of  mine  once  had  to  go 
through  it ;  but  never  again  !  You  ought  to  hear  the 
tales  he  tells.    With  a  rope's-end,  he  says." 

I  suppose  the  conversation  had  become  too  profes- 
sional for  Frau  Krause,  so  she  asked  Frau  Bergfeldt 
whether  the  gentleman  who  had  behaved  in  such  a 
civil  manner  on  the  occasion  of  her  coffee-party,  was 
still  lodging  with  her. — "He  has  left  me,"  she  an- 
swered. "The  amount  he  thought  of  himself  was 
unbearable.  Then  the  constant  waiting  on  him, 
and  I  without  a  servant !     But  now  I  have  let  my 


224  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

rooms  furnished  to  a  man  who  does  not  mind  if  my 
husband  gets  fidgety  occasionally.  He  will  get  on 
well  some  day."—"  How  ?  " 

"  He  is  writing  a  tragedy." — "  You  don't  say  so  !  " 
— "  Only  wait  and  see  ;  he  will  earn  his  thousands  by 
it."—"  But  first  of  all  people  must  like  it."—"  There 
is  no  doubt  on  that  point.  Everything  that  has  been 
composed  heretofore,  is  wrong  ;  the  theatre  generally 
is  falling  into  decay.  It  must  be  radically  altered. 
He  will  revolutionise  the  rotten  state  of  affairs." — 
"  That  almost  sounds  as  if  I  were  listening  to  Wich- 
mann-Leuenfels  himself  !  " — "  Do  you  know  him  ?  " 
Frau  Bergfeldt  asked  in  astonishment.  "  It  is  the 
very  man." — "I  congratulate  you." — "And  so  you 
may.  He  is  strongly  endowed  with  genius." — "  How 
about  the  rent?" — "He  is  just  engaged  on  the  last 
act,  where  the  torn  shroud  is  to  be  displayed  on  the 
battle-field.  Nobody  has  been  so  bold  hitherto." — I 
asked  whether  he  was  punctual  in  his  payments. — "  If 
the  piece  is  successful,  he  will  pay  up  arrears  on  the 
nail."  —  "I  should  have  no  confidence  in  tragedy 
writers." — "Just  have  patience.  You  might  feel  very 
happy  if  everything  were  as  sure  as  the  piece.  He 
reads  some  of  it  aloud  to  us  every  evening.  It  is 
splendid,  I  can  tell  you." — Frau  Krause  had  served 
up  supper,  but  things  remained  as  uncomfortable  as 
they  had  been  from  the  beginning.  The  cold  things 
were  eatable.  There  were  roast  beef,  cut-up  fowl,  sau- 
sages, and  an  enormous  quantity  of  cakes  in  Edward's 
honour.  Then  she  tapped  a  red  wine,  certified  whole- 
some, but  good  for  nothing  but  toasting  with. 
Whether  the  wine  tasted  so  sour  owing  to  the  sweets 
or  whether  it  contained  the  acid  in  itself,  I  was  inca- 
pable of  discerning  ;  but  it  was  economical,  as  every- 
body guarded  his  glass  against  being  refilled. 


The  Krauses.  225 


Meanwhile  Edward  kept  on  filling  his  mouth  with 
cakes,  and  his  mother  provided  him  continually  with 
fresh  big  pieces,  until  Herr  Krause  said  at  last : 
"  Adelaide,  will  it  agree  with  the  boy  ? " — "  He  is  con- 
firmed !  "  she  screamed  at  him.  "  Do  you  wish  to 
embitter  his  last  hours  under  the  parental  roof  ?  Had 
you  shown  yourself  more  loving  towards  him,  he 
would  not  be  leaving  us.  But  you  are  a  despot ! 
Oh  !  I  shall  not  survive  it !  "  and  her  tears  began  to 
flow  afresh. 

Herr  Krause  made  a  savage  face,  and  the  youth    . 
went  on  eating.     This  formed  our  entertainment. 

Although  the  afternoon  had  really  only  just  begun, 
we  took  care  to  say  good-evening  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  Frau  Bergfeldt  too  insisted  that  she  must  leave, 
as  it  was  getting  too  late. 

This  is  the  only  occasion  on  which  we  agreed  in  all 
respects. 

When  people  have  guests  at  their  house,  matters 
should  not  be  so  arranged  that  they  languish  for  the 
further  side  of  the  door,  and  emerge  into  the  pure 
evening  air  with  a  feeling  of  relief. 

In  order  to  do  away  with  the  bad  impression  caused 
by  the  Krauseian  festivity,  and  to  get  rid  of  the  taste 
of  the  wine,  my  Carl  hailed  a  fly,  and  we  drove  to  the 
Lowenbrau.  We  insisted  on  Frau  Bergfeldt  coming  w 
with  us.  What  good  does  she  get  out  of  existence  ? 
The  old  man  is  breaking  up  visibly,  and  requires 
constant  care,  even  though  Augusta  does  relieve  her. 
And  of  course  she  has  her  own  domestic  concerns  to 
attend  to.  I  can  only  hope  that  Herr  Leuenfels's  piece 
will  bring  in  something ;  otherwise,  where  is  she  to 
get  it  from  ? 

The  LowenbrKu  tavern  was  packed  close  with  guests, 
there  being  hardly  space  to  wind  our  way  through 


226  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

the  crowd  ;  but  when  the  Berliner  sees  a  thirsty  man 
in  difficulties,  he  economizes  space,  and  so  we  too 
found  accommodation. 

Frau  Bergfeldt  had  not  yet  seen  this  beer  saloon, 
where  one  takes  one's  glass  of  beer  in  all  sorts  of 
corners  ;  whereas  in  the  Spatenbrau,  artificial  railway 
arches  have  been  fitted  up  for  the  purpose  ;  and  so  she 
was  enchanted  with  the  pretty  wooden  walls,  and  the 
paintings,  brilliant  in  their  classic  black,  as  well  as 
with  the  stylishness  imported  by  the  beer  wagons. 

And  how  delicious  the  beverage  tasted  !  My  Carl 
embarked  on  a  quart  measure  straight  away.  The 
fact  that  they  brew  beer  in  Munich  which  finds  its 
own  way  down  people's  throats,  is  said  to  be  due 
to  the  circumstance  that  they  are  more  sparing  of  the 
water  there. 

And  now  at  last  we  could  have  a  rational  conversa- 
tion, which  we  had  been  obliged  to  forego  for  so  long. 
Frau  Bergfeldt  displayed  an  intelligent  understanding 
on  the  subject  of  our  building  when  I  told  her  what 
trouble  we  had  had  about  the  cellar,  because  Doris 
would  not  venture  into  it  alone  when  she  wanted  >d 
fetch  anything,  owing  to  the  way  the  masons  went  jn 
with  her,  for  which  reason  I  was  always  obliged  to  go 
too  as  protector  ;  and  also  what  the  kitchen  looked 
like  while  the  boiler  was  being  put  to  rights,  which 
they  messed  about  at  for  nearly  two  days.  On  that 
occasion  I  had  reproached  one  of  them — it  was  the 
elder  of  the  two — with  the  fact  that  I  had  never  before 
met  with  such  dilatoriness,  to  which  he  merely  an- 
swered, "Quite  so";  and  when  I  remarked  that  they 
might  have  finished  the  job  in  half  a  day,  he  said, 
"  Quite  so."  But  what  was  the  cause  of  it  ?  They 
were  having  their  little  jokes  with  Doris.  However,  I 
then  said,  that  shall  not  be  so  any  longer,  and  promptly 


The  Krauses.  227 


took  up  a  permanent  position  there,  the  consequence 
of  which  was  that  work  progressed  rapidly.  And  what 
did  he  say  when  I  said,  "  Well,  do  you  see  now  ? " — 
"  Quite  so,"  he  said. 

We  conversed  on  domestic  subjects  while  my  hus- 
band was  ruminating  over  the  smoke  of  his  cigar,  the 
only  occasional  interruption  being  caused  by  the  bel- 
lowing lion,  which  is  pinched  every  time  a  fresh  barrel 
is  tapped.  When  it  growls  the  public  rapidly  empty 
their  glasses,  and  their  knocks  summon  the  waiters. 
A  truly  cosmopolitan  bar  ! 

My  Carl  was  desirous  of  hearing  the  lion  howl  once 
more  ;  but  Frau  Bergfeldt  reminded  us  that  her  old 
man  was  decrepit,  and  that  Augusta  would  certainly 
be  getting  impatient. 

We  took  her  back  to  her  house,  and  said  that  Au- 
gusta might  as  well  drive  part  of  the  way  with  us. 
Augusta  was  soon  ready.  She  did  not  say  much,  and 
seemed  as  if  she  were  unwilling  to  be  questioned.  I 
fear  the  Bergfeldts'  affairs  are  hopeless. 

We  clattered  through  the  long  streets.  It  was  past 
midnight  already.  We  saw  lighted  windows  here  and 
there  ;  some  of  them  high  up,  some  low  down,  and 
some  again  between  the  two,  irregularly  distributed, 
just  as  they  happened  to  come. 

What  caused  the  lights  to  be  burning  ?  Was  it  mer- 
riment, or  did  anxiety  dictate  it  ?  Joy  and  sorrow  are 
often  only  divided  by  a  partition  in  Berlin,  and  are 
ignorant  of  each  other's  existence. 

Joy  soon  flies  away ;  care  has  crutches,  and  is  often 
importunate  ;  no  disinterred  remains  or  table-rapping 
avail  against  that.  If  it  be  looked  at  straight  in  the 
face,  as  Augusta  does,  it  will  soonest  take  its  departure. 


■  \'~^::W¥pVJr7W'^  K^-'p- 


228  Frau   Wilkelmine. 


THE  SILVER  WEDDING. 

About  a  brilliant  wedding  and  the  bridesmaids — Why  Mila  is  dis- 
appointed and  Amanda  wants  to  throw  things — About  reason 
being  under  restraint  and  about  the  old  elder-bush — About  pine 
groves  and  finishing  touches — About  weddings  and  exhorta- 
tions— Why  a  piece  of  muslin  is  charming,  and  Herr  Brandes 
speechifies — About  the  hand-organ  and  the  wedding  tour. 

Betti  was  displaying  obstinacy  again.  Nine  thou- 
sand reasons  were  adduced  to  her  for  having  her  wed- 
ding celebrated  with  at  least  as  much  pomp  as  the 
marriage  of  her  younger  sister,  which  is  still  occasion- 
ally referred  to  as  having  been  magnificent ;  but  her 
answer  remains  ivariably  the  same  :  "  No  display." 

Was  the  silver  wedding  to  run  its  full-blown  course 
and  Betti  to  be  portioned  off  with  a  splendour  that 
might  be  knotted  into  a  handkerchief  ?  No  ;  but  a 
miiddle  way  might  be  struck  out.  We  were  still  sur- 
rounded t>y  the  old  rooms,  just  as  they  had  always 
been,  though  sentence  had  been  pronounced  upon 
them  ;  the  doors  were  still  in  their  accustomed  posi- 
tion ;  every  piece  of  furniture  was  still  in  its  place  ; 
the  house  was  still  our  old  beloved  home  ;  and  so  I 
proposed  there  to  celebrate  the  day,  which  was  to  be 
one  of  honour  and  joy  for  both  of  us. 

This  pleased  Betti  and  my  husband  as  well,  though 
he  would  have  preferred  promulgating  a  huge  bull, 
including  some  hundred  guests,  gathering  all  his  busi- 
ness friends  round  him,  and  inviting  the  families  of 
our  acquaintance  in  tribes  ;  but  virtue  triumphed,  and 
he  accomrnodated  himself  to  my  views  with  commend- 
able rapidity,  in  the  sentence,  "As  you  like,  Wilhel- 
mine." 

"  Now,  do  you  see,  old  man,"  I  jested,  "  you  really 


The  Silver  Wedding.  229 

comprehend  quite  quickly,  if  you  are  given  a  week  to 
do  it  in." — "  Discretion  comes  with  years,"  he  retorted. 
— "  You  surely  don't  mean  to  insinuate  that  I  was  want- 
ing in  it  formerly  ? " — "  Could  you  consider  me  capable 
of  such  high  treason?" — "Carl,  I  am  not  quite  sure, 
but  I  often  have  a  vague  idea  that  you  are  quizzing 
me."  He  kissed  me,  and  said  just  the  one  word,  "  Old 
woman  !  " — Well,  that  made  it  all  right. 

In  contradistinction  to  the  Doctor,  Betti  and  Felix 
determined  on  making  a  wedding  tour,  for  which  pur- 
pose they  had  selected  Dresden  and  Saxon  Switzer- 
land. They  will  be  obliged  to  stay  at  a  hotel  anyhow 
on  their  return,  until  their  rooms  are  ready  for  them. 
My  husband  and  I,  as  well  as  Frieda,  intend  settling 
down  in  the  upper  story,  which,  especially  on  our 
side  of  the  house,  will  remain  almost  untouched.  This 
will  probably  occasion  some  discomfort,  but  really  not 
nearly  as  much  as  having  the  "helps";  and  as  my 
Carl  had  been  obliged  to  suffer  from  them,  it  would 
be  presumptuous  on  my  part  to  decline  enjoying  the 
building  worries  with  him. 

It  was  further  determined  to  bring  only  the  family 
together  for  the  celebration,  but  on  closer  consultation 
we  remembered  the  bridesmaids,  who  could  not  be 
drawn  from  among  the-nearest  relations,  and  therefore 
Mila  and  Amanda  were  taken  into  consideration.  The 
Police-lieutenants  could  not  be  left  out.  Felix  too  had 
some  friends. 

"  And  what  do  you  think  about  my  book-keeper  and 
the  two  clerks  ?  Though  they  do  not  usually  associ- 
ate with  us,  still  they  ought  to  be  among  the  number 
on  a  day  like  this." 

"  Carl,  Herr  Brandes  is  retiring,  and  the  two  young 
men  make  no  pretensions.  They  will  esteem  it  a  great 
honour  if  you  invite  them." 


230  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

As  there  was  one  seat  left,  we  put  our  heads  to- 
gether as  to  who  should  be  asked  to  fill  it.  "  What 
would  you  think  of  our  inviting  Dr.  Stinde  ? "  said  my 
husband. 

"  Carl,  what  are  you  thinking  about  ?  Did  you  not 
read  in  Voss  that  his  humour  was  running  dry?  What 
should  we  do  with  a  stupid  customer  like  that  at  our 
wedding?  Is  he  to  spoil  our  little  mite  of  pleasure 
with  his  criticisms  and  fault-findings,  because  he  does 
not  understand  our  ways  ?  " 

"Formerly  you  had  a  very  different  opinion  of  him." 
— "  I  take  my  opinions  from  the  paper  ;  that  can  surely 
not  be  untruthful."—"  Heaven  forbid  !  "— "  Carl,  why 
do  you  say  that  *  Heaven  forbid  '  so  dubiously  ? " 

"  Do  you  remember  an  occasion  on  which  the  Post 
showed  its  love  for  its  neighbour  by  hanging  an  imbe- 
cile congress-table  speech  on  to  somebody,  which  had 
neither  been  made  by  the  somebody,  who  was  not 
there  at  all,  nor  by  anybody  else?" — "Quite  right. 
It  had  to  put  up  with  a  good  deal,  and  has  not  washed 
the  stains  away  yet.  Carl,  the  Post  ought  to  have  Idiss 
on  its  staff ;  the  girl  would  feel  at  home  there.  But 
do  you  know  what  ?  I'll  have  Frau  Helbich.  She 
stood  by  me  in  trouble  and  sorrow,  and  she  ought 
to  rejoice  with  me  on  my  wedding  -  day.  She  cer- 
tainly is  nothing  but  the  mistress  of  a  tavern,  but 
she  helps  others  when  they  are  suspected  and  accused 
instead  of  spreading  false  reports  about  them.  Be- 
sides, she  might  have  been  made  on  purpose  to  be 
Herr  Brandes'  table-companion." 

Mila  and  Amanda  accepted  their  invitations  to  be 
bridesmaids.  Mila  came  and  made  inquiries  as  to 
whether  the  wedding  would  be  on  a  very  large  scale, 
and  seemed  disappointed  at  the  small  number  of 
strangers,  probably  because  she   had   calculated   on 


""f"  i^-*     ^  •>  ^^■^•i''«!^35*«*» 


T^e  Silver  Wedding.  231 

there  being  a  large  circle,  with  opportunities  for  making 
herself  conspicuous.  But  if  she  wants  to  dazzle  people, 
we  are  surely  not  called  upon  to  bear  the  expense  ! 

Amanda,  on  the  other  hand,  agreed  with  Betti.  She 
remarked,  with  her  fathomless  sincerity,  "Who  can 
blame  her  for  it  ?  The  man  she  was  first  engaged  to 
lies  in  the  churchyard,  a  miserable  suicide.  Had  she 
totally  forgotten  him,  she  would  not  have  been  worthy 
to  be  called  his  affianced  wife,  good  for  nothing  though 
he  was." — "Amanda,  you  do  not  know  the  circum- 
stances. Emil  was  a  good  fellow  at  bottom,  only  he 
was  too  weak.     Ask  Augusta  Weigelt  about  it." 

"  Possibly.  He  was  not  to  my  taste ;  but  Betti 
cared  about  him,  and  I  should  not  be  inclined  for 
noisy  festivities  were  I  in  her  place.  I  imagine  that 
the  happiness  of  loving  and  being  loved  is  so  great, 
that  everything  fades  before  it,  dancing  and  shouting 
first  and  foremost." 

"  I  hope  that  you  will  come  to  know  it,  Amanda.  I 
should  be  delighted  to  get  an  announcement  of  your 
engagement." 

"  I  am  all  for  freedom  and  independence,"  she  said 
shortly. — "  I  thought  so  too  at  one  time ;  but  then 
came  my  Carl,  and  led  me  into  another  path  of  life." 
— "  Where  is  the  harm  in  my  remaining  an  old  maid  ? 
I  am  not  anxious  to  marry  a  man  who  would  make  me 
unhappy.  If  I  did,  he  would  certainly  wish  that  he 
were  seated  on  the  top  of  the  column  of  Victory,  and 
had  no  need  to  come  down." — "  Why  so,  Amanda  ? " — 
"  Because  I  should  have  everything  for  him — nails, 
teeth,  the  whole  set  of  crockery,  and  whatever  else 
there  is  that  might  conveniently  be  thrown  at  his  head  ; 
but  no  love." — "Take  care  ;  that  is  blasphemy,  child. 
If  a  person  has  plighted  her  troth  at  the  altar,  she  dare 
not  create  a  scandal." — "  It  will  be  a  considerable  time 


232  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

before  my  father's  daughter  says  Yes." — "  Still,  I  don't 
like  the  idea  of  throwing  things,  nor  do  I  believe  that 
you  would  do  it." — "  A  sick  bullfinch  can  wind  me 
round  its  finger,  Frau  Buchholz  ;  but  if  I  notice  that 
my  bit  of  money  is  the  attraction,  I  do  get  furiously 
offended.  Am  I  to  be  a  mere  appendage  to  my  dowry, 
a  piece  of  unusable  flesh  thrown  into  the  balance, 
because  such  is  the  way  of  business  ?  I  would  rather 
end  my  days  as  a  beggar !  " 

"  But  supposing  the  right  man  were  to  come, 
Amanda  ?  " 

She  gave  a  start,  as  if  the  question  had  touched  a 
sore  spot,  and  said  sadly  :  "  The  right  man  sometimes 
passes  by  and  does  not  see  the  burning  eyes  that  are 
gazing  after  him.  It  is  a  mercy  that  one  can  cry  them 
back  into  their  place." 

"  You  may  be  of  good  cheer,"  I  answered  ;  "  there 
are  several  right  ones."  —  "That  depends,"  she  re- 
torted, shaking  her  head. 

It  was  suddenly  borne  in  upon  me  that  Uncle  Fritz 
had  taken  considerable  interest  in  Amanda  at  one 
time,  and  that  it  was  probably  he  who  she  had  hoped 
would  woo  her,  until  he  made  his  choice  in  Lingen, 
with  the  love  her  dreams  foreshadowed,  without  greed 
for  money,  led  simply  by  inclination. 

In  those  days  I  did  not  care  about  the  match,  ad- 
vised him  off  it,  and  was  well  satisfied  when  he  gave 
up  going  to  the  Kuleckes'.  But  now  Amanda's  heart 
was  still  bleeding,  and  that  laid  a  weight  upon  me. 
So  I  said  soothingly,  "  Amanda,  the  illusions  of  life 
are  so  great  that  it  is  often  years  before  we  can  per- 
ceive our  mistake.  The  man  who  is  destined  for  you 
has  certainly  not  passed  by  yet ;  for  do  you  not  see, 
my  child,  had  it  been  so,  he  would  surely  have  halted  ? 
But  you  must  not  throw  things." 


The  Silver  Wedding.  233 

-  She  laughed  out  loud.  "Only  the  sofa-cushions  just 
now  and  then  !  " — And  before  I  could  turn  round  she 
exclaimed,  "  How  pretty  you  are  to-day,  Grandmamma 
Buchholz  !  "  and  flung  her  arms  round  me  and  kissed 
me  on  the  mouth  and  cheek. 

If  only  she  had  been  half  a  head  shorter !  But 
Schweninger  has  no  remedy  for  height — his  cure  is 
for  fat,  and  that  is  often  liable  to  return. 

Brotherly  love  took  the  preparations  for  the  festival 
off  my  hands.  "  You  are  the  festal  sacrifice,  and  have 
got  to  keep  quiet,"  Uncle  Fritz  commanded,  and  we 
yielded,  in  order  to  leave  him  full  freedom  for  all  he 
wanted  to  do  in  conjunction  with  the  men  of  the  ell- 
wand. When  reason  has  been  laid  under  restraint, 
one  obeys  willingly. 

Spring  had  come  upon  us  unnoticed,  just  as  a  cloudy 
sky  often  clears  up  ;  the  air  was  warm  and  soft,  and 
although  we  often  talked  about  and  counted  the  in- 
tervening days,  still  the  wedding-day  overtook  us 
much  too  soon.  It  stood  suddenly  before  us  in  the 
midst  of  our  turmoil  and  tailoring.  "  Children,"  I 
groaned,  "  we  are  not  nearly  ready  yet,  and  to-morrow 
will  be  the  day  !  " 

And  how  quickly  the  day  before  flew  past !  We 
stayed  at  the  Doctor's  until  dinner-time,  and  when 
we  returned  home.  Uncle  Fritz  was  still  there  to 
prevent  our  inspecting  the  rooms  that  he  had  had  in 
hand. 

Then  came  the  night,  and  then  what  a  morning  ! 

Strains  of  flowing,  swelling  song  awoke  us.  Fritz's 
musical  friends  serenaded  us  from  the  courtyard. 
We  cannot  wreathe  a  day  so  that  it  should  have  fes- 
tive garlands,  but  if  it  greets  us  at  dawn  with  elevat- 
ing strains,  then  it  too  has  put  on  festival  apparel. 
"Carl,"  I  said,  when  they  had  embarked  on  the  third 


234  Frau  Wilhelmine. 

piece,  "I  have  often  objected  to  the  'Whooping 
Cough,'  but  did  I  know  that  it  could  be  like  this  ? " 

Uncle  Fritz  knocked.  "  Are  you  not  up  yet,  slug- 
gards ? "— "  Directly,  directly  !  " 

I  suppose  he  could  not  exercise  patience,  consider- 
ing what  he  had  to  do.  When  I  reached  the  stairs  I 
had  to  come  to  a  standstill,  I  was  so  overcome  ;  and 
my  Carl  was  quite  touched  when  he  looked  at  the 
garlands  that  were  wreathed  round  the  banisters,  and 
at  the  flowering  shrubs  that  turned  the  entrance  to 
our  sitting-room  into  an  arbour,  while  it  was  itself 
converted  into  a  fir  grove,  in  the  midst  of  which  Betti 
and  Emmi  stood  and  then  hurried  towards  their  par- 
ents. Nobody  else  was  there.  Thanks,  my  Fritz,  for 
this  hour  ! 

After  a  while  Frieda  brought  breakfast,  and  Uncle 
Fritz  followed  her.  "  My  dear  brother-in-law,"  he 
said,  "  for  five-and-twenty  years  you  have  managed  to 
get  along  with  my  sister.  You  deserve  to  have  a 
statue  erected  to  you  ;  I  know  her  from  her  youth 
up!" 

"You!  You!"  I  exclaimed.  "You  will  never  in> 
prove  !  "     And  then  I  held  him  in  my  arms. 

Frieda  congratulated  us  and  turned  to  go.  "  No, 
no,  Frieda,"  I  interposed  ;  "  you  must  stop  here."  She 
looked  quite  delighted,  for  I  had  not  been  able  to  use 
the  familiar  "  Du  "  since  she  had  found  pleasure  in 
Ida's  scoffing  jests  in  the  kitchen  ;  to-day.  however,  it 
came  back  to  me  quite  of  itself. 

Even  the  breakfast-table  was  surrounded  with  ever- 
greens, and  a  vase  with  a  small  branch  of  elder-tree 
was  placed  in  the  middle  of  it ;  however,  the  branch 
had  more  buds  than  blossoms,  two  or  three  on  the 
whole.  "The  bush  in  the  garden  means  to  do  its 
part,"  said  Betti  ;   "  the  first  tiny  buds  have  opened 


■»je^  'iTT-'  ''j^'5.''i?;gpape^»wswis»-4 


n 


The  Silver  Wedding.  235 

this  morning." — They  had  not  much  perfume,  but  the 
old  bush  meant  well ;  and  if  we  have  had  our  pleasure 
out  of  it  year  by  year,  to-day  it  delighted  us  more 
than  ever. 

And  now  appeared  Doris,  with  her  white  apron  on,  ^ 

and  carrying  a  pound-cake.  She  wished  to  congratu- 
late us,  she  said,  and  hoped  the  cake  would  prove  a 
success.  We  cut  and  tasted  it.  It  was  excellent.  "It 
is  exactly  the  way  my  mother  always  made  it,"  she  ex- 
plained, "  only  more  eggs,  more  butter,  and  a  larger 
quantity  of  raisins." — "  A  capital  recipe,"  I  praised 
her ;  "  we  will  make  the  next  just  like  it." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,"  said  Doris,  and  marched  proud- 
ly off. 

"Will  you  have  a  look  at  the  drawing-room  and  see 
whether  you  like  it  ?  "  Uncle  Fritz  now  asked.  "We 
shall  take  the  doors  off  later  on,  and  will  then  possess 
a  space  for  the  festival  of  sufficient  crowdedness.  The 
tables  which  are  laid  have  been  placed  in  the  back 
room,  and  will  be  brought  in  for  the  chief  feed.  Vict- 
uals will  follow  from  a  court  restaurateur."  — "  And  ^ 
hired  waiter,  Fritz  ?  "— "  Two  of  them."—"  Why,  that 
will  be  gorgeous  !  " 

He  opened  the  doors.  Inside  them  also  the  walls 
were  covered  with  fir-green,  which  would  do  no  harm 
whatever,  as  the  paper  had  been  hanging  for  the  long- 
est possible  time.  My  picture  was  placed  there,  and 
looked  as  if  I  were  promenading  about  in  a  pine  grove 
whose  branches  were  interwoven  with  silver  thread  to 
typify  the  green  and  silver  wedding.  It  was  unique 
in  its  way. 

And  then  just  to  look  at  the  temple  of  offerings,  as 
Fritz  called  the  table  on  which  the  presents  had  been 
arranged,  with  the  most  exquisite  baskets  of  flowers 
and  nosegays  !     If  they  can  do  it  anywhere,  they  un- 


'/r^K-yia-.-^v^ 


236  Frau  Wilhelmine. 

derstand  how  to  arrange  flowers  in  Berlin ;  but  I 
never  yet  had  seen  anything  to  compare  with  these,  so 
fragrant  they  were,  and  all  of  them  with  silk  ribbons 
and  visiting  cards  fastened  to  them.  And  among  them 
the  presents,  ranging  from  a  nominal  to  high  value  ; 
nor  were  they  contributed  solely  by  relations,  but  also 
by  business  friends  of  my  husband's,  to  whom,  as  it 
turned  out,  Fintz  had  given  sundry  hints.  "We  can- 
not accept  these  !  "  I  exclaimed. — **  Take  them  without 
further  ado,"  Fritz  answered  ;  "  they  will  squeeze  the 
cost  out  of  the  next  order  they  give." 

The  other  table  belonged  to  Betti.  What  a  sight 
that  was  to  look  upon,  with  its  numerous  letters  and 
telegrams,  many  more  of  which  arrived  in  the  course 
of  the  day  !  Visitors  came  also,  and  so  the  morning 
simply  melted  away  under  one's  hands. 

It  was  not  until  Betti,  Felix,  my  husband,  and  the 
Doctor  drove  to  the  registrar's  office  that  an  interrup- 
tion took  place,  which  I  intended  devoting  to  myself. 
But  I  did  not  get  much  good  out  of  it,  as  Augusta 
Weigelt  had  waited  for  this  moment. 

"  Augusta ! "  I  exclaimed,  in  astonishment  at  her 
entrance. 

"Just  a  very  few  minutes,"  she  said  quickly  ;  "  I  do 
not  wish  Betti  to  see  me,  but  I  must  wish  you  every 
good  thing  that  the  human  heart  is  capable  of  feel- 
ing."— "  You  put  me  to  shame,  Augusta." — "  No,  no. 
It  is  your  friendship  which  has  so  often  revived  my 
drooping  spirits  when  I  was  on  the  verge  of  despair  ; 
you  are  my  support.  I  know  that  you  will  help  me  if 
the  worst  comes  to  the  worst,  and  my  determination 
never  to  let  it  come  to  the  point  of  having  to  hide 
myself  from  your  ciear-sighted  penetration,  is  the 
spur  that  urges  me  on  to  attempt  gaining  the  trpper 
hand  by  my  own  efforts,  and  it  has  been  successful. 


The  Silver  Wedding.  237 

Your  severity  has  taught  me  to  test  everything  whether 
it  be  foolish,  your  goodness  strengthens  my  confidence 
in  life.  Where  should  we  have  gone  without  you — I, 
my  children,  my  husband  ?  Backwards,  ever  back- 
wards." 

"Augusta,"  I  answered  her,  "you  over-estimate  me 
in  this  particular,  and  that  ought  not  to  be  done. 
Many  things  come  to  pass  that  we  have  no  idea  of. 
Tell  me,  how  are  things  going  on  at  home,  Augusta  ? " 

"  They  are  all  well  and  happy  at  home,  except  the 
youngest  one.  I  fear  that  she  will  not  remain  with 
me  long.  And  I  am  so  fond  of  her  !  Mamma  sends 
her  congratulations  ;  it  is  difficult  for  her  to  get  away 
— father  cannot  be  left  without  somebody  to  look 
after  him.  She  begs  that  you  will  accept  this  little 
gift." — Augusta  unrolled  a  small  parcel,  and  handed 
me  a  charmingly  worked  reticule.  "  I  have  done  the 
embroidery ;  the  thimble  in  it  is  from  mamma.  You 
are  to  use  it  for  whichever  you  like,  your  sewing,  or 
crochet ;  there  had  to  be  something  of  silver  in  it, 
that  is  the  proper  thing." 

I  thanked  her  heartily  and  said  :  "  Augusta,  never 
forget  that  we  two  are  old  friends  and  will  remain  so." 

Shesaidgood-bye,andI  sent  many  greetings  with  her. 

So  nothing  came  of  my  intention  to  rest.  Uncle 
Fritz  returned  and  took  possession  of  the  rooms  to 
give  them  the  last  finishing  touches,  nor  had  we  much 
time  for  delay. 

First  of  all,  I  helped  Betti  with  her  dressing,  and 
then  set  to  work  on  myself,  to  array  myself  in  my  new 
grey  silk  dress.  It  was  made  of  German  silk,  ex- 
tremely beautiful  and  very  tastefully  worked.  Frieda, 
who  was  helpful  in  handing  me  things,  expressed  her- 
self to  the  effect  that  it  was  very  aristocratic.  Then 
Emmi  put  the  silver  wreath  on  me. 


■  •■  '■  'wm^- 


238  Frau.  Wilhelmine. 

"The  number  of  the  guests  was  almost  complete," 
she  said.  "  Uncle  Fritz  had  turned  the  entrance-hall 
into  a  reception-room,  which  was  very  fairly  filled  al- 
ready. As  soon  as  the  clergyman  arrived,  papa  would 
fetch  me.  Fritz  and  Franz  had  come  too  ;  they  were 
going  to  be  good  and  not  disturb  any  one." — "  That 
may  be  taken  for  granted  with  Fritz,  but  who  will  go 
security  for  Franz  ?  You  had  better  go  to  them  and 
keep  them  quiet.  For  a  solemnity  may  easily  be 
screamed  to  death." 

Now  at  last  I  had  a  moment  to  myself,  but  the 
long-intended  collective  backward  glance  was  not  a 
success.     My  heart  was  too  full. 

I  sat  there  neither  awake  nor  yet  asleep — nonentity 
seemed  to  be  laid  upon  me  until  my  Carl  came. 

I  had  not  heard  his  entrance,  and  only  noticed  him 
as  he  stood  before  me  with  outstretched  hands  to 
raise  me  up.  We  looked  at  each  other,  face  to  face. 
He  read  my  eyes,  I  his.  Then  my  glance  fell  on  the 
silver  spray  of  myrtle  on  his  breast,  he  looked  down 
on  the  silver  wreath  in  my  hair,  and  said  lovingly, 
"  Come,  silver  bride." 

I  laid  my  arm  in  his.     Speech  was  impossible  to  me. 

As  we  were  going  down  I  regained  my  composure 
after  the  first  steps  ;  I  could  even  bear  to  listen  to  the 
notes  of  a  harmonium,  which  was  hidden  behind  some 
plants.  Doris,  who  was  listening  about  near  the  en- 
trance, in  search  of  information,  said  :  "  They  are  all 
of  them  inside  already." 

This  was  the  fact.  The  invited  guests  were  sitting 
in  a  half  circle  composed  of  several  rows,  Betti  and 
Felix  being  in  the  middle,  on  one  side  of  them  Emmi 
and  the  twins,  on  the  other  Erica  and  then  Frau  Po- 
lice-lieutenant. I  took  cursory  note  of  this  while  we 
were  slowly  advancing  towards  the  clergyman,  who 


"^ 


-  /  i^'jfya  ,  5 


T/ie  Silver   Wedding.  239 

was  waiting  for  us  on  a  slightly  raised  platform.    The 
music  was  silent,  and  he  began  his  address. 

"  He  had  been  called  hither  for  a  double  purpose," 
said  the  clergyman,  "  to  bless  an  old  alliance  of  hearts 
and  to  consecrate  a  new  one.  A  green  wedding  was 
the  name  given  to  the  solemn  service  in  which  a  young 
pair  implored  that  the  blessing  of  the  Most  High  might 
rest  upon  their  wedded  bonds,  but  it  was  called  silver 
when  the  commemoration  of  their  early  vows  was  to 
be  celebrated  after  a  lapse  of  five-and-twenty  years 
The  green  wreath  was  a  symbol  of  the  love  that  springs 
as  mysteriously  into  being  as  do  the  leaves  and  blos- 
soms of  which  it  is  composed,  which  begins  by  peep- 
ing forth  timidly,  but  then  presses  forward  towards 
the  light  and  finds  its  blessing  in  revealing  itself. 
Sprays  and  flowers  wither  and  p rumble  into  dust,  but 
love  grows  and  becomes  steadfast ;  tried  in  the  war- 
fare of  life,  it  becomes  constant  and  strong  like  refined 
silver. 

"  And  so  the  green  wreath  was  changed  into  the  sil- 
ver wreath.  Every  year  and  every  hour  of  the  year 
have  done  their  work  on  it,  and  now  the  past  presents 
it  in  its  glittering  beauty.  Let  happy  thoughts  be 
dedicated  to  the  past  and  to  those  life-joys  it  has 
strewn  along  the  path.  Nevertheless  days  had  been,* 
of  which  we  say  they  please  us  not,  but  they  exercise 
the  heart  in  patience.  Patience  helps  us  not  to  de- 
spair, but  to  put  our  trust  in  all  humility  in  God's 
goodness,  which  we  experience  often  and  richly  in  our 
own  persons,  if  only  we  choose  to  recognise  it.  And 
experience  brings  hope,  confidence  in  the  unchange- 
able love  of  Him  from  whom  proceedeth  all  good 
things.  Him  let  us  thank ;  may  His  blessings  rest 
upon  this  happy  pair  !  " 

While  he  was  speaking  thus,  I  felt  that  something 


240  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

had  taken  hold  of  the  folds  of  my  dress,  first  on  one 
side,  and  then  in  the  same  manner  on  the  other.  It 
was  the  grandchildren,  who  clung  to  grandmamma, 
and  looked  up  with  childlike  eyes  at  the  strange  man 
in  his  long  black  robe.  God  bless  them  too,  these  dar- 
lings of  us  all !     God  bless  them  ! 

And  again,  as  we  had  done  five-and-twenty  years 
ago,  we  gave  each  other  a  hand,  my  Carl  and  I.  How 
tightly  he  clasped  it ;  oh,  how  tightly  ! 

I  really  only  recovered  my  composure  when  I  was 
sitting  beside  my  Carl  on  the  chair  that  Betti  had  just 
been  occupying,  for  she  and  Felix  had  now  advanced 
to  the  clergyman.  Being  still  too  greatly  touched  by 
what  had  taken  place,  I  was  unable  to  follow  the  pas- 
tor. I  certainly  did  hear  words,  but  they  fell  abroad 
like  loose  crumbs,  and«I  only  had  an  indistinct  vision 
of  the  two  youthful  figures.  However,  my  pulse  gradu- 
ally slackened  and  my  sight  grew  clearer.  Betti  looked 
almost  too  severe  for  a  bride,  but  on  the  other  hand 
there  was  a  look  on  Felix's  face  like  the  rosy  dawn  of 
a  day  that  promises  to  be  rich  in  happiness.  I  only 
noticed  his  white  necktie,  which  gave  me  the  impres- 
sion of  having  been  frequently  washed  already. 

I  looked  at  the  witnesses  of  the  marriage  :  they  were 
faultlessly  attired.  I  looked  about  me  ;  the  gentlemen 
connected  with  the  business  had  put  on  brand-new 
satin  ties,  and  the  younger  of  them,  Herr  Hoff,  even 
went  the  length  of  having  on  an  under-waistcoat 
bound  with  red.  It  seemed  strange  to  me  about  Fe- 
lix, for  he  is  generally  as  careful  of  his  appearance  as 
a  lieutenant  got  up  for  a  party,  the  only  difference 
being  that  he  does  not  curry-comb  his  head  when  en- 
tering a  room  full  of  people.  And  then  the  fashion  of 
the  thing  !     There  are  none  of  the  sort  to  be  had. 

But  had  I  not  seen  it  once  already  ?    Where  could 


-  \  •!'^-:t:.-v  ; i;^>-^' ^j-^-j-^vjij 


The  Silver  Wedding.  241 

it  have  been  ?  That  is  it.  In  Tegel,  during  the  days 
of  the  midges,  F^lix  lost  his  necktie  in  the  water  on 
one  occasion,  and  Betti  made  him  one  out  of  the  mos- 
quito curtain.  That  was  when  they  had  seen  each 
other  for  the  first  time.  And  now  he  was  wearing  it 
on  his  wedding-day,  in  remembrance  of  those  bygone 
days  !  How  he  must  have  loved  and  valued  it  in  order 
to  treasure  it  up  so  faithfully  !  I  never  should  have 
thought  that  a  little  bit  of  muslin  could  have  looked 
so  charming ! 

Now  I  could  have  derived  the  greatest  enjoyment 
from  the  marriage  address,  but  it  was  just  over.  I 
could  only  tell  Betti  by  my  embrace  that  I  was  spend- 
ing the  delightf ullest  day.  "  And  you,  my  child  ? "  I 
asked. — "  If  only  my  thankfulness  could  be  in  propor- 
tion to  my  happiness  ! "  she  sai4. 

We  now  saw  more  than  ever  how  cleverly  Uncle 
Fritz,  as  leader  of  the  whole,  had  arranged  everything. 
While  the  numerous  congratulations  were  being  con- 
tinued in  the  entrance-hall,  which  by  the  aid  of  hang- 
ings looked  at  the  very  least  like  a  councillor  of  com- 
merce's, the  hired  waiters  were  transporting  the  tables 
so  rapidly  to  their  proper  places,  that  the  meal  could 
be  begun  in  the  shortest  space  of  time.  We  bridal 
couples  were  placed  opposite  each  other  at  the  prin- 
cipal table.  The  Police-lieutenant  took  in  Erica ;  Uncle 
Fritz,  Frau  Police-lieutenant ;  Frau  Krause  was  given 
to  the  Doctor,  which  caused  him  to  express  dissatisfac- 
tion later  on,  for  she  wailed  to  him  unceasingly  about 
her  Edward,  who  had  already  sailed.  If  the  wind 
blows  through  the  streets,  she  trembles  for  fear  the 
ship  should  be  capsized,  and  the  weather  reports  in 
the  papers  keep  her  in  a  chronic  state  of  anxiety.  But 
the  spirits  had  promised  to  tell  her  of  every  danger. 
After  this  the  Doctor  gave  up  listening  to  her  silly 


242  Frau   Wilhebnine. 

talk,  and  entertained  himself  with  the  claret  instead. 
For  him  spirits  are  nothing  but  erratic  bed-sheets. 

Every  single  course  of  the  dinner  came  from  Otto 
Bellmann. 

"  You  can  take  some  more  with  perfect  safety,  if  you 
like  it,"  I  said  to  my  Carl ;  "and  just  fish  the  crayfish 
out  of  the  turbot  sauce  ;  there  are  not  enough  of  them 
anyhow  to  satisfy  the  Doctor's  appetite  !  " 

The  Police-lieutenant  gave  the  first  toast  in  honour 
of  the  silver  couple.  It  was  a  little  long,  but  choice 
as  regards  language.  He  wished  us  a  further  five-and- 
twenty  years,  until  the  golden  wedding,  and  that  we 
might  all  be  at  our  posts  then.  Then  we  had  another 
course,  and  Uncle  Fritz  drank  to  the  health  of  the 
young  couple.  But  as  usual,  there  were  marginal 
notes.  What  was  the  meaning  of  his  dragging  me 
into  his  speech  and  congratulating  Felix  on  getting 
me  for  a  mother-in-law,  as  there  were  worse  ?  Then 
the  bridesmaids'  health  was  drunk,  the  Doctor  doing 
duty  this  time  ;  then  that  of  the  best  man  ;  then  that 
of  the  ladies  ;  then  that  of  the  grandchildren  ;  then 
that  of  the  married  people,  coupled  with  the  Police- 
lieutenant  ;  then  that  of  Uncle  Fritz.  Good  Heavens, 
how  they  did  clink  glasses  !  We  stood  almost  as  long, 
glass  in  hand,  as  we  sat  for  purposes  of  eating,  and 
the  ladies  had  constantly  to  take  care  that  they  did 
not  get  spots  of  red  wine  on  their  dresses.  But  it  was 
jolly — awfully  jolly — very  jolly  indeed. 

Last  of  all,  we  had  got  to  the  ices,  and  the  cham- 
pagne had  been  handed  round.  Uncle  Fritz  having 
chosen  a  Lorraine  brand  for  the  purpose,  highly  to  be 
commended,  and  plentifully  supplied,  when  Herr 
Brandes  knocked  for  silence.  He  requested  us  to  par- 
don him  for  taking  such  a  liberty,  but  he  wished  to  be 
allowed  to  say  a  word.     Everybody's  health  had  al- 


f^i^i-t^'^'r:      ■■ 


The  Silver  Wedding.  243 

ready  been  drunk  ;  there  was  one  wish  he  would  still 
like  to  express.  When  he  had  arrived  in  Berlin,  many- 
years  ago,  the  town  was  not  the  same  as  to-day,  when 
it  is  praised  by  every  one  who  gets  to  know  it.  It  had 
been  extended  and  beautified,  the  old  had  been  obliged 
to  give  way  to  the  better  new,  for  there  was  too  little 
space  for  both.  This  was  the  state  of  affairs  at  pres- 
ent in  the  Landsberger-strasse,  in  the  Buchholz  house. 
The  business  had  become  extended,  and  builders  were 
at  work  pulling  down,  in  order  that  it  might  be  able 
to  develop.  He  hoped  that  their  old  luck  would  re- 
main true  to  the  house,  that  it  might  prosper,  in  a 
smaller  way,  just  as  the  city  of  Berlin  grew  and  blos- 
somed on  more  extended  lines ;  he  begged  us  all  to 
join  him  in  the  toast :  "  Long  live  the  firm  of  Buch- 
holz and  Son  !  Long  may  it  live  !  "  "  Hoch  soil  sie 
leben,  drei  Mai  hoch"  we  all  sang,  and  my  Carl  went 
round  and  thanked  Herr  Brandes. 

When  dinner  was  finished,  we  had  our  coffee  in  the 
entrance-hall,  the  tables  were  cleared  away,  and  a 
small  dance  was  to  be  set  on  foot.  However,  this 
failed,  owing  to  the  pianist  having  left  us  in  the  lurch. 
"  Surely  we  can  contribute  as  much  as  we  shall  want 
ourselves,"  Uncle  Fritz  suggested,  but  nobody  pressed 
forward  towards  the  piano.  Every  one  began  to  make 
excuses.     He  was  sure  he  could  not  do  it  well  enough. 

Upon  which  the  Police-lieutenant  exclaimed  :  "  Mila, 
you  have  enjoyed  such  wonderful  instruction  in  Swit- 
zerland !  " — Fritz  conducted  Mila  politely  to  the  piano, 
and  requested  her  to  play  a  polonaise.  Mila  bethought 
herself  for  a  moment,  and  then  began.  Well,  we 
marched  according  to  the  waves  of  sound  she  pro- 
duced, for  time  there  was  none,  and  so  Uncle  Fritz 
begged  for  a  waltz.  Felix  and  Betti  revolved  a  cer- 
tain number  of  times,  but  that  would  not  do  either. 


;^7r'^*^^'!r^r' 


244  Frau    Wilhe Inline. 

"Is  that  a  waltz?"  I  asked.— "One  of  Chopin  s," 
answered  Mila. — "  I  suppose  it  is  more  of  a  waltz  to 
listen  to  than  to  dance  to  ? " — She  retorted,  "  She  did 
not  play  rubbish,"  and  got  up  pertly  from  her  seat. 
After  this  Betti  and  Emmi  produced  an  old  book  of 
duets.  These  were  serviceable,  but  then  they  wished 
to  amuse  themselves  too.  Let  it  suffice  to  say  that  we 
were  in  a  complete  dilemma.  Then  Herr  Hoff  came 
to  the  rescue,  and  asked  whether  he  might  fetch  his 
accordion  ?    "  Of  course,"  said  Fritz. 

He  returned  after  a  while  with  his  accordion.  But 
what  was  it  ?  A  huge  hand-organ  !  "  No,"  I  said,  "  I 
cannot  allow  that." — "Just  play  away,"  commanded 
Uncle  Fritz. 

Herr  Hoff  could  play  the  newest  dances  very  invit- 
ingly, and  with  plenty  of  go,  which  pleased  the  young 
people  mightily,  though  Frau  Police-lieutenant  made 
long  faces  at  it.  However,  her  disapproval  abated 
upon  Uncle  Fritz  engaging  her,  and  as  he  put  his  best 
foot  foremost  in  dancing  with  her,  she  thought  later 
that  it  really  was  most  obliging  of  Herr  HofE  to  sac- 
rifice himself  by  being  orchestra. 

So  there  stood  the  expensive  piano,  and  the  lessons 
had  cost  many  a  groschen  !  To  what  purpose  ?  After 
all  is  said  and  done,  a  concertina  is  much  cheaper,  and 
answers  the  same  purpose.  They  ought  to  be  more 
studied. 

What  with  dancing,  singing,  and  refreshments,  it 
grew  increasingly  lively,  and  was  something  like  an 
unconstrained  festival  in  forest  glades.  This  was  due 
to  the  firs.  The  departure  of  the  young  couple  re- 
mained unnoticed.  We  should  have  liked  to  keep 
them  longer,  but  they  had  to  get  away  by  train. 

Th.en  the  Police-lieutenant's  family  took  leave,  and 
the  Krauses,  and  so  on,  one  after  another.     As  soon  as 


Westerland.  245 


the  last  had  taken  their  departure  the  merriment 
ceased.  Only  the  candles  were  still  alight,  the  empty 
chairs  were  all  standing  about  in  disorder,  and  glasses 
and  plates  where  they  just  happened  to  have  found  a 
place.     The  festival  had  come  to  an  end. 

"  Are  you  tired,  Wilhelmine  ?"  asked  my  Carl,  as  I 
was  resting  a  little  wearily. 

"  Sit  down  beside  me,  Carl,  and  let  me  lay  my  head 
on  your  breast,  quietly,  peacefully.  It  has  been  a 
grand  day  ;  how  beautiful  the  memory  of  it  will  be  ! " 


WESTERLAND.* 

Why  Doris  leaves  and  Herr  Klein es  emigrates — Why  Herr  Weigelt 
is  dependent  and  an  educated  man  is  turned  into  a  parcel — 
About  the  ideal  in  art  and  general  change  of  tissue — About 
strengthening  weeks. 

The  chimney  had  already  been  taken  down,  and 
workmen  were  engaged  setting  up  machinery  in  the 
factory,  during  which  process  Felix's  presence  was  ab- 
solutely, indispensable.  The  young  people  had  taken 
up  their  abode  in  a  hotel  as  a  sort  of  elongated  wed- 
ding tour,  for  it  looked  horrible  at  home,  and  as  my 
Carl  had  got  hold  of  some  new  ideas,  the  pulling  down 
of  the  walls  was  more  extensive  than  I  had  been 
originally  led  to  expect ;  we  were  therefore  crowded 
together  in  a  constantly  diminishing  space,  and  Frieda 
was  about  me  all  day  long.  So  we  became  better  ac- 
quainted with  each  other ;  and  as  troubles  end  by 
bending  the  strongest  will,  I  gained  her  confidence 

*A  small  strip  of  land  in   Holstein,  bounded  by  the  German 
Ocean.     There  is  an  island  of  the  same  name  close  by. — Trans. 


246  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

too.  She  had  gone  too  far  the  evening  of  the  ball, 
and  great  as  was  the  power  of  her  beauty  usually  over 
Max,  the  sceptre  broke  when  she  believed,  in  her 
anger,  that  she  could  allow  herself  everything,  even  to 
bodily  threats.  He  came  neither  the  following  day 
nor  the  next,  and  so  matters  went  on.  The  total  de- 
struction of  the  dinner  on  the  day  of  the  ball  may  have 
had  something  to  do  with  his  holding  back. 

Max  had  given  Frieda  up  ;  he  sent  us  no  news  about 
himself  ;  we  only  knew  that  he  was  in  Africa.  Frieda 
became  more  depressed  daily  after  the  celebration  of 
our  silver  wedding.  She  had  hoped  that  Max  would 
at  least  write  his  congratulations  to  us  or  to  Felix, 
and  that  there  would  be  some  mention  made  of  her ; 
but  as  there  was  not  a  single  sign  of  love  or  life  forth- 
coming, she  feared  the  worst.  "  He  has  probably  only 
disappeared  for  a  time,  and  will  turn  up  again  some- 
where," I  strove  to  soothe  her ;  but  she  said  :  "  Even 
supposing  he  is  alive,  he  is  angry  with  me.  I  have  for- 
feited his  love  by  my  own  fault.  At  the  wedding  I 
saw  the  meaning  of  being  and  making  happy.  I  de- 
sired only  to  receive,  and  would  give  nothing ;  I  con- 
sidered myself  perfect,  and  was  full  of  faults.  Oh,  if 
he  only  were  to  come  back,  I  would  serve  him  as  well 
as  I  am  able,  would  be  what  I  am  through  him  alone, 
would  live  only  for  him  !  And  now  he  is  dead." — 
"Nothing  certain  is  known  on  the  subject,  Frieda." — 
"  He  is  lost  to  me." — I  pitied  her  deeply,  and  deter- 
mined to  keep  her  always  with  me.  If  anybody  had 
to  be  her  stay,  I  was  the  person.  My  interference 
may  have  had  just  as  much  to  do  with  the  turn  things 
had  taken  as  she  herself  had  by  her  former  behaviour. 

If  Max  could  only  have  seen  her  !  Trouble  had 
gradually  lent  a  melancholy  expression  to  her  features, 
which  deprived  her  smile,  when   it  did  come,  of  the 


Wester  land.  247 


boastful  look  which  used  to  chill  people  who  ap- 
proached her.  Her  voice  sounded  softer  when  she 
begged  for  anything  ;  there  was  something  in  its  ring 
that  expressed  thanks  in  advance  for  the  favour  to  be 
granted.  There  are  many  who  have  a  heart  concealed 
somewhere,  but  it  will  not  speak  when  it  ought,  and 
this  had  been  the  case  with  Frieda  heretofore.  It 
could  give  utterance  to  its  feelings  now,  but  Max  did 
not  hear  it.  I  found  Frieda  grow  pleasanter  from  day 
to  day.  She  gave  herself  a  great  deal  of  trouble  even 
when  I  was  out  of  temper,  for  which  provocations  were 
flying  about  wildly. 

First  and  foremost  came  Doris.  She  seemed  par- 
ticularly anxious  to  have  notice  given  her,  with  orders 
to  leave  at  once.  There  was  no  further  question  of 
cleaning  up,  as  the  rooms  would  be  filled  with  dirt 
again  directly;  and  whenever  I  went  into  the  kitchen, 
I  found  an  oft-forbidden  mason  sitting  there.  So  dirty 
as  they  looked,  too  !  "  Doris,"  I  said,  "  I  allow  no 
nonsense." — "Quite  so." — "Do  you  not  wish  to  re- 
main longer  with  me  ? " — "  Quite  so." — "  But  have  you 
anything  to  complain  of  in  any  way  ?" — "  Quite  so." 
— "Are  you  thinking  of  marrying?" — "Quite  so." — 
"But  surely  not  with  a  mason's  apprentice  ?  " — "  That 
is  exactly  it." 

So  that  was  the  upshot  of  the  matter.  Had  Idiss 
been  more  careful  of  the  boiler,  I  need  not  have  sent 
away  a  trained  servant.  It  would  be  beyond  my 
powers  to  instruct  some  pampered  person  in  her  work 
in  the  present  state  of  confusion;  and  a  decent  woman 
would  certainly  not  enter  such  ruins. 

And  then,  secondly,  that  Herr  Kleines  ! 

Well,  he  came  to  see  me  one  fine  day.  "  Mercy  on 
us,"  I  exclaimed,  "  how  ill  you  look  !  Have  you  been 
chased  through  a  needle's  eye  anywhere  ?  "    He  really 


248  Frau   Wilhclmine. 

might  have  been  threaded  into  a  medium-sized  darn- 
ing-needle, his  skeleton  hung  so  loosely  together. — 
"  Protect  me  from  that  Schulz  woman  !  "  he  cried. — 
"  From  whom  ?  " — "  From  the  mother  and  daughter. 
The  old  hag  persecutes  me ;  Idiss  says  that  I  have 
promised  to  marry  her."  —  "Is  it  true?" — "No." — 
"  Well,  who  is  telling  stories  ? "— "  Idiss."—"  Then  you 
are  well  out  of  it !  " — "  Do  you  call  it  being  well  out 
of  it,  when  that  Schulz  woman  applies  to  me  twice 
every  week  ?" — "  She  only  worried  me  by  letter." — "  I 
won't  have  her  letters  taken  in.  But  if  you  could  only 
hear  the  fuss  she  makes  !  And  changing  my  quarters 
is  not  of  the  slightest  use ;  she  manages  to  find  out 
where  I  am  directly,  from  the  Police-lieutenant.  Do 
please  take  me  in,  Frau  Buchholz  ;  she  is  afraid  of 
you." — "  I  am  very  sorry,  but  we  are  building." — "  I 
have  changed  my  lodgings  five  times  already,  and  five 
times  I  have  been  obliged  to  fly.  It  is  enough  to  drive 
a  man  out  of  his  skin  and  make  him  sit  down  by  it." 

"  You  should  have  done  that  long  ago." — He  looked 
at  me  interrogatively.  —  "I  mean  to  say  you  should 
have  given  up  your  mode,  of  life  ;  it  has  never  been 
what  it  ought.  Really,  if  a  plaster-of-Paris  cast  were 
taken  of  you,  you  would  be  a  medical  spectacle  for 
doctors,  but  not  for  families."-^"  Because  families  are 
stupid  and  prudish,"  he  answered.  "  I  shall  emigrate." 
— "  That  would  be  a  wise  proceeding  on  your  part ; 
for,  honestly  speaking,  I  imagine  that  we  are  much 
too  old-fashioned  for  you  here." — "  Skat  is  played  so 
badly,  too,"  he  said,  and  went  away.  —  I  wonder 
whether  he  referred  to  me  when  he  talked  of  bad  play  ? 
If  this  were  the  case,  the  ocean  is  not  broad  enough 
to  separate  us. 

As  Frieda  offered  her  services  for  every  kind  of 
work,  Doris  left  us  on  the  first,  and  we  two  kept  house, 


Wcsterland.  249 


with  a  charwoman  to  do  the  rough  work  ;  but  it  was 
not  agreeable,  especially  as  the  weather  became  warm 
and  the  summer  turned  Berlin  into  a  furnace.  How- 
ever, salvation  was  near,  and  it  came  from  Emmi. 

The  Doctor  owed  her  some  compensation  on  ac- 
count of  the  Russian  lady,  and  this  could  only  be 
done  by  bringing  out  the  mammon — which  Emmi  sure- 
ly too  had  earned  by  having  been  deprived  of  him  for  a 
week  ! — for  a  journey.  And  how  amiable  it  was  of 
them,  to  invite  me  to  seek  recuperation  atSylt  under 
their  protection  ! — a  place  which  was  to  work  wonders 
for  my  nerves  and  asthma. 

They  all  advised  my  accepting  it,  and  so  I  consent- 
ed. But  only  under  the  condition  that  my  husband 
would  go  to  the  hotel,  that  Frieda  would  take  care  of 
the  Doctor's  rooms  during  our  absence,  and  that  we 
should  take  Augusta  Weigelt's  youngest  child  with 
us,  for  the  doctor  had  said  that  sea  air  would  help  to 
pull  the  little  creature  round, — it  was  on  the  road  to 
recovery.     This  also  was  agreed  to. 

Herr  Weigelt  asked  what  he  could  do  for  me,  when 
he  heard  about  it.  I  told  him,  *'  Hold  Augusta  in 
honour."  He  answered,  "  Frau  Buchholz,  a  woman 
like  my  wife  really  is  a  woman ! "  and  he  could  get  no 
further.  A  pulpy  mass  of  dependence,  that  man. 
Could  he  not  have  said  simply,  "  Certainly  "  ?  How- 
ever, it  must  be  acknowledged  that  he  is  not  extrava- 
gant, and  that  he  works  honestly.  But  supposing  he 
were  without  such  guidance  ! 

So  it  came  to  pass  that  we  all  met  at  the  Lehrt  sta- 
tion late  one  evening,  with  trunks,  hand-bags,  and  um- 
brellas. The  Doctor  was  fully  primed  for  the  occa- 
sion, as  Herr  Jeckel,  the  bookseller,  had  sketched  a 
plan  of  the  journey  for  him.  He  knows  so  well  every 
place  where  a  change  has  to  be  made,  where  the  train 


'•: '    ■"^*r^^?'i;^'%!t?'^^7*^^  iS*^^>^ 


250  Frau   Wilhclmine. 

stops  for  a  time,  and  where  one  has  to  travel  by  slow 
train,  thai  tb.ey  ought  to  have  made  him  councillor  of 
locomotives,  01  something  of  that  description,  long 
ago,  for  he  arranges  routes  so  admirably  that  a  person 
wishing  to  go  to  Kotschenbroda,  may  steam  off  to 
Eidtkuhnen  for  his  amusement,  owing  to  the  combina- 
tion of  changes — an  amusement  that  probably  yields 
a  percentage  to  the  State. 

Either  the  emolument  from  the  Russian  was  not 
sufficiently  good  to  allow  of  sleeping-berths,  or  else 
my  son-in-law  felt  more  inclined  for  the  old  fashion  of 
spending  wretched  nights  in  a  train.  The  carriage 
being  one  which  had  a  passage  in  the  middle,  prevent- 
ed every  attempt  at  stretching  ourselves  out,  and  if 
the  children  did  not  exactly  crawl  about,  they  squalled 
unceasingly  till  Morpheus  opened  his  arms  to  receive 
them.  "A  very  beneficial  journey  to  a  watering- 
place  !  "  I  suggested. — "  It  cannot  be  arranged  other- 
wise, dear  mamma-in-law,"  said  he  in  mock  pity  ;  "  we 
do  not  happen  to  belong  to  the  aristocracy  of  finance  !  " 
— "  Miser  !  "  I  thought  inaudibly.  "  If  the  roubles 
really  are  going  to  be  spent,  why  must  one's  unfortu- 
nate corpus,  which  is  travelling  in  search  of  repairs, 
be  subjected  to  the  rack  first  ?  People  certainly  do  say 
that  nothing  can  hurt  you  if  a  doctor  be  present,  but 
there  are  degrees  of  tenderness,  according  to  how  one 
sits,  and  subject  to  one's  own  judgment." 

The  times  in  the  tables  were  all  correct,  the  only 
thing  being  that  the  trains  never  kept  then,  so  the 
difficulty  of  reaching  Sylt  with  twins  had  to  be  solved 
by  means  of  State  aid.  Even  the  man  most  completely 
endowed  with  reason,  turns  into  a  parcel  here.  But  he 
does  reach  his  destination. 

When  one  has  managed  to  arrive  at  this  extreme 
point  of  the  German  Empire  at  Westcrland,  where 


Wester  land.  251 


huge  hotels  and  architectural  villas  for  visitors  have 
sprung  up  beside  peasants'  houses,  one  asks,  "  And 
where  is  the  far-famed  German  Ocean  ?  " — "  Beyond 
the  dunes,"  they  say,  for  they  only  speak  the  Frisiac 
language  to  each  other,  and  one  goes  through  the 
town,  towards  the  sandhills,  u^  the  steps,  and  then  ! 

Yes,  then. 

Then  it  seems  as  if  volley  after  volley  were  being 
fired  to  greet  the  king's  birthday  ;  one  clap  of  thun- 
der after  another  is  caused  by  the  waves,  as  they 
fling  themselves  on  the  dazzlingly  white  beach,  in  such 
mighty  force  that  all  one's  worries  are  forgotten. 

We  made  our  way  down  to  the  many  hundreds  who 
were  walking  along  the  sands,  or  sitting  in  their  beach 
basket-chairs,  or  lying  flat  down  sunning  themselves. 
Many  were  digging  holes  in  the  sand,  in  which  they 
take  up  their  abode  after  ornamenting  the  walls  with 
flags ;  others  built  castles,  like  the  children.  The 
grown-up  folk  had  holidays  and  music  as  well,  and 
convalescent  homes  with  fluttering  pennants,  black — 
white — red,  and  flocks  of  silver-grey  sea-gulls,  which 
are  so  tame  that  they  will  catch  pieces  of  bread  thrown 
up  to  them  in  their  bills.  The  sea  rolls  on  uninterrupt- 
edly, and  flings  its  spray  high  into  the  air,  which  being 
saturated  with  salt  is  health-giving  to  those  who 
inhale  it.  "  Being  here  will  do  me  good,"  I  said. — 
"All  of  us,"  suggested  the  Doctor. — "Yes,  certainly; 
there  is  so  much  health  in  it,  that  none  need  go  empty 
away," 

We  were  more  satisfied  day  by  day  with  our  lodg- 
ings and  the  care  taken  of  us.  They  cook  excellently, 
and,  which  is  a  matter  of  great  convenience,  there  is 
no  redundant  luxury  of  toilette,  although  the  society 
is  good,  being  drawn  from  the  cultivated  classes. 
Everybody  is  there  just  as  he  is,  and  that  is  beneficial 


252  Frau  Wilhelmine. 

to  health,  which  suffers  under  restraint,  and  econom- 
ical at  the  same  time. 

My  weak  condition  was,  it  must  be  admitted,  a  mere 
matter  of  detail.  The  Doctor,  and,  influenced  by  him, 
Emmi  also,  had  left  their  nurse  behind  from  motives 
of  economy,  and  the  c^re  of  the  grandchildren  was 
laid  on  grandmamma's  shoulders.  This  was  the  rea- 
son of  their  amiable  offer  to  take  me  with  them.  ! 

He  revelled  in  the  open  sea,  while  I  only  required 
to  breathe,  and  Emmi  took  warm  baths  to  start  with. 
The  result  of  this  was  that  I  had  to  sit  about  on  the 
beach  alone  doing  nurse,  Mercifally,  I  got  some 
assistance  during  the  very  first  days  of  our  stay,  in 
the  persons  of  Herr  Spannbein  and  Ottilie,  whose  ac- 
quaintance we  had  made  while  in  Italy  ;  they  were 
here,  too,  accompanied  by  Quenglhuber  and  the  young 
Spannbeins.  I  really  cannot  describe  the  pleasure  of 
meeting  each  other  again. 

Herr  Spannbein  paints  sea  landscapes  now,  and 
Quenglhuber  seems  pretty  nearly  to  have  given  up 
his  historical  crotchet ;  for  the  natural  finds  a  readier 
"market,  and  he  cannot  force  the  public  back  into  the 
past  by  means  of  his  criticisms.  He  complained  bit- 
terly of  being  forced  to  make  way  for  younger  critics, 
of  whom  he  insists  that  they  write  the  most  utter  rub- 
bish, while  they  in  their  turn  make  the  same  remarks 
about  him. 

"  The  ideal  must  be  utterly  destroyed,"  he  coughed, 
for  he  has  grown  old. — "Tell  me  what  is  the* ideal  re- 
ally ?"  I  asked.—"  Do  you  not  know  ?"— "  No.  ^•— " Well, 
the  ideal  is — good  heavens  !  you  must  surely  know 
what  the  ideal  is?" — "No,  I  don't." — "Nothing  can 
be  simpler.  Well,  the  ideal,  or  rather  idealism — ^but 
fancy  your  not  knowing  it  !  Absurd  !  " — "  Go  on, 
please,"  I  said.     After  collecting  his  thoughts  for  a 


Wester  land.  253 


little,  he  began  :  "  Idealism,  in  contradistinction  to 
realism,  is  the  idea  looked  at  objectively  as  an  example 
of  the  sublime  in  human  affairs  ;  or  vice  versd,  it  is  rel- 
atively the  aesthetic  perception  of  matter.  But  it  is 
all  nonsense ;  you  know  perfectly  well  what  ideal 
means  !  " — "Could  you  not  tell  me  the  same  thing  in 
German  ?" — "  But  I  was  speaking  German." — "  Really  ! 
Ah,  well  ;  there  must  be  a  deal  of  hard  work  to  do 
before  Art  can  hang  on  our  walls  !  But  you  are  a 
grandfather  and  I  a  grandmother  ;  why  need  we  trouble 
ourselves  about  it  ? " 

The  young  Spannbeins  were  veritable  sand-boys. 
They  were  unwearied  in  constructing  dams  as  a  pro- 
tection against  the  waves,  and  said,  "  This  time  they 
are  strong  and  firm."  Then  came  the  tide  and 
licked  their  work  away,  like  Fate,  which  flows  in  upon 
us  and  destroys  what  seemed  to  be  indestructible. 
I  wonder  whether  the  factory  will  ever  come  to  any- 
thing ? 

My  Carl  wrote  regularly,  and  told  me,  amongst 
other  things,  that  Herr  Bergfeldt  had  passed  away. 
It  was  a  happy  release,  for  he  had  become  a  heavy 
burden,  and  even  Augusta  had  said  that  a  peaceful 
end  would  be  a  blessing  for  him  and  for  all  of  them. 
Now  he  was  lying  at  rest  beside  Emil.  I  felt  it 
deeply — very  deeply. 

The  only  news  I  had  to  send  home  w^as  that  we  were 
all  in  excellent  health,  that  Fritz  and  Franz  had  al- 
ready been  burnt  as  brown  as  Camerooners,  and  that 
the  youngest  Spannbein  looked  more  like  a  seal  than 
anything  else  with  his  closely-cropped  hair.  Augusta's 
little  one  was  getting  on  splendidly.  The  sea  air 
gives  people  appetites  like  a  sausage  machine  ;  then 
there  is  the  strengthening  nourishment,  which  changes 
into  strong  and  healthy  tissue  in  the  body,  by  which 


■"~pff/ 


254  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

means  fresh  inclination  for  eating  is  called  forth, 
which  in  its  turn  banishes  the  scrofulous  element  out 
of  children,  and  leads  back  the  whole  of  one's  general 
organism  to  health.  The  Doctor  ate  so  much,  that  he 
exceeded  the  price  we  had  contracted  for.  Otherwise 
there  was  very  little  to  happen  ;  we  really  did  rest. 

The  longer  we  remained,  the  more  enjoyable  it  was. 
The  sea  is  always  different.  Sometimes  like  this, 
sometimes  like  that ;  but  it  is  just  in  its  diversity  that 
its  charm  consists.  When  the  sky  was  clouded,  the 
clouds  were  rent  asunder  sometimes,  and  the  evening 
gold  glittered  behind  them,  so  that  one  seemed  to  see 
a  portion  of  the  universe  where  the  sun  was  shining 
grandly,  as  it  always  does,  while  we  were  enveloped 
in  grey  sadness.  The  Doctor  even  went  to  the  ex- 
pense of  a  tiny  carriage  sometimes,  and  we  visited  the 
delightfully  clean  villages  on  the  island,  the  mountain- 
ous downs,  the  heath  glowing  in  red,  the  lighthouse 
which  warns  ships  by  its  intermittent  glow,  and  I  even 
went  so  far  as  to  go  into  an  ancient  Hun  cave.  The 
Hun  no  longer  dwelt  there,  but  there  was  an  old 
woman  with  stearine  candles,  susceptible  of  a  gratuity. 
And  how  tame  all  the  animals  are  about  Sylt ! — for 
the  fowling-piece  is  buried  there.  Hares  behave  as  i€ 
there  were  no  stewing-pans  in  existence.  There  is 
much  that  is  extraordinary  about  the  place.  But  the 
most  delightful  part  of  all  is  the  dip  in  the  foaming 
billows,  which  my  son-in-law  rates  far  higher  than 
Heligoland,  which  he  had  once  visited.  The  air  suited 
me  splendidly  ;  the  nerves  regained  their  tone,  and 
asthma  vanished.  The  Doctor  was  generally  to  be 
found  seated  in  a  hole,  where  he  devoted  himself  to 
card  games  ;  Emmi  and  Ottilie  made  peregrinations 
along  the  beach,  and  I  minded  the  children.  I  grew 
to  love  them  as  if  they  were  my  own. 


Westerland.  255 


I  was  struck  by  a  terrible  shock  in  the  midst  of  this 
peaceful  existence — a  letter  with  a  black  border,  which 
I  took  up  in  terror.  "  Erica  !  "  was  my  first  thought. 
But,  thank  God,  it  was  not  so.  It  was  due  to  Frau 
Bergfeldt's  amiability  ;  she  probably  had  some  black- 
edged  paper  left,  and  so  she  dealt  me  a  blow  with  it. 
I  feel  for  everybody's  grief,  but  no  one  ought  to  be 
frightened  unnecessarily,  and  an  envelope  like  the 
one  I  received  does  have  that  effect  until  one  knows 
whence  it  comes  and  what  it  contains.  There  was 
not  much  that  was  rational  in  it.  "  She  was  gradually 
getting  reconciled,"  she  wrote,  "  and  went  frequently 
to  water  her  husband  and  Emil.  Just  at  last  he  had 
not  cared  to  eat  anything.  And  after  all,  the  greatest 
good  was  to  be  extracted  from  life  by  means  of  one's 
teeth.  When  that  was  done  with,  there  was  no  more 
to  be  said." — And  to  send  black-edged  paper  for  that. 
She  shall  catch  it  from  me  some  time. 

Upon  our  departure  we  were  able,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Bergfeldt  episode,  to  look  back  upon  a 
series  of  strengthening  weeks,  and  as  the  steamer 
turned  into  the  Watten-sea,  and  Sylt  with  its  downs 
sank  lower,  we  all  agreed  with  one  accord  that  we 
were  able  to  cope  with  Berlin  once  more.  But  the  big 
town  eats  us  up  at  last. 


?'t^  ^T' 


256  F'^nn  Wilhelmine. 


HOME. 

About  modern  Renaissance — About  li*tle  Wilhelmine  Fabian  and  a 
set-off — Why  Hinnerich  repents,  and  ■'Avears  frightfully  notwith- 
standing— Why  the  Bergfeldts  nev^r  will  be  lost,  and  Frau 
Kliebisch  grows  younger — End. 

The  first  thing  that  met  my  eyes  at  the  station  was 
my  dear,  dear  Carl.  After  all,  nothing  is  worth  any- 
thing without  him.  How  safe  I  felt  on  h'S  arm,  aniid 
the  crowd  of  arrivals  !  He  kept  on  saying;  hov»  the 
air  had  browned  me,  and  how  well  I  looked.  "  .So  I 
am.  And  you  ? " — "  I  am  glad  that  we  have  got  you 
back  again." — Augusta,  the  children  and  her  husband 
came  to  fetch  the  little  one.  She  was  so  astonished 
at  the  sight  of  the  fresh,  hardy  creature,  who  had  hung 
together  like  a  bag  of  bones  before  the  beach  and 
sand  cure  !  Herr  Weigelt  wanted  to  say  some  rub- 
bish, but  we  hastened  off,  and  walked  the  few  steps  to 
our  house. 

Outside  it  was  still  the  old  place,  but  it  had  been 
changed  inside,  and  my  fear  of  new  things  made  it 
difficult  for  me  to  enter.  But  our  imagination  gener- 
ally pictures  things  wrongly,  and  that  was  the  case 
on  this  occasion. 

Of  course  many  thirigs  had  changed  their  places, 
and  they  looked  smaller,  but  all  the  more  comfortable 
for  that ;  and  it  was  our  old  furniture  too,  only  they 
had  got  rid  of  the  redundancy,  as  they  were  bound  to 
do.     It  was  a  cosy  nest  in  which  to  grow  old. 

Betti's  wing  had  been  done  up  in  Renaissance  style, 
but  it  had  not  been  turned  into  a  museum,  so  that  if 
one  so  much  as  coughs  the  little  knick-knacks  tumble 
from  their  shelves  and  get  more  broken  than  they 
were   before.     Betti  was  so   pleased  at  showing  me 


Home.  257 

everything,  and  Felix  kept  his  arm  round  her  and 
looked  on  too.  So  I  did  not  get  much  sitting  down 
during  the  first  half-hour.  When  I  had  expended  all 
my  terms  of  praise,  I  asked,  "Where  is  Frieda?" — 
There  was  a  pause  of  embarrassment. — "She  is  at 
Fritz's,"  my  Carl  answered,  with  reluctance.  "  We 
would  not  write  to  you,  but  the  danger  is  over  now." — 
"  What  danger  ? " — "  We  feared  that  we  should  have 
lost  Erica." — "  Erica  ? " — "  She  is  over  it  now,  and  a 
happy  mother.  You  are  to  see  her  and  her  littte 
daughter  to-morrow." — "  And  Fritz  ?  " — "  He  does  not 
stir  from  the  side  of  his  wife  and  child.  Frieda  is 
housekeeping  for  them." — ''  But  she  cannot  do  that." 
— "Yes,"  said  Betti,  "she  would  ;  and  because  it  had 
to  be  done,  she  could." — "  I  am  going  off  at  once  ; 
nobody  shall  keep  me  here  !  " 

And  so  I  did. — Frieda  opened  the  door  very  gently 
for  me.  "She  has  eaten  a  little  bit  of  pigeon,"  she 
whispered  ;  "  Dr.  Paber  is  quite  satisfied  with  her  to- 
day. How  nice  to  have  you  here !  She  has  often 
asked  for  you." 

Then  came  Fritz.  He  looked  worn  out  with  watch- 
ing. The  sad  earnest  of  life  had  marked  his  forehead 
— I  saw  the  signs  of  it. — "  My  poor  boy  !  " — "  Not  poor  ; 
I  am  doubly  rich  now  ;  my  wife  will  not  leave  me. 
Oh,  sister,  what  days  they  have  been  !  " — "  May  I  see 
them  both  ? " — Fritz  went  into  the  room,  and  after  a 
pause  he  beckoned  to  me.  The  room  was  darkened, 
and  Erica  looked  pale — oh,  so  pale  ! — as  she  lay  in 
bed.  But  her  glance  was  clear,  she  was  looking  on- 
wards into  life  again.  "  I  was  standing  in  front  of  the 
Dark  Gate,"  she  said  ;  "  then  a  voice  called  to  me,  my 
Fritz  called,  and  I  came  back," — "  No  such  thoughts  ; 
we  will  get  away  from  it  as  soon  as  we  can.  There  is 
more  sense  in  that,  is  there  not  ? " — And  now  I  saw 


w^  - 


258  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

the  wee  daughter.  It  was  a  strong  little  thing  ana 
well  made,  and  was  slumbering  peacefully.  This  was 
sufficient  for  the  first  time,  but  I  had  to  convince  my- 
self, or  else  suspicion  would  have  driven  me  wild. 

So  I  had  my  hands  quite  full.  The  state  of  our  do- 
mestic affairs  was  a  new  one,  and  Erica  laid  claims  on 
me,  which  were — oh,  so  willingly  ! — acceded  to.  Frieda 
was  to  be  depended  upon,  and  so  after  a  lapse  of  some 
weeks  we  had  the  consolation  of  seeing  Erica  allowed 
to  rest  for  a  short  time  in  her  garden-room.  She 
might  perhaps  have  got  well  sooner,  but  it  is  more 
difficult  to  recover  in  Berlin  flats,  if  one's  youth  has 
been  spent  in  nearly  country  air. 

His  wife's  advance  in  health  and  strength  had  a  vis- 
ible influence  on  Uncle  Fritz  ;  the  tormenting  memory 
of  those  terrible  hours,  during  which  mortality  had 
shrieked  its  awful  note  of  warning  through  the  house, 
dwindled  away — those  hours  during  which  he  had  felt 
with  dreadful  force  that  all  courage  and  all  strength 
is  nothing  but  vain  striving  when  Fate  stretches  out 
its  hand  for  our  loved  ones.  "  However,"  so  he  said, 
*'  Erica  has  now  entered  on  life  for  the  second  time, 
and  Berlin  is  her  home  !  " — "  In  time  she  will  accom- 
modate herself  to  the  capital,"  I  answered. 

The  little  daughter  had  been  very  properly  named 
Wilhelmine,  although  the  Krauses  did  think  that  it 
should  have  been  called  after  the  grandfather;  but  I 
really  should  have  been  hurt  if  Erica  had  done  that. 
The  Krauses  had  received  tidings  from  their  Edward 
already  ;  he  had  to  work  like  a  day-labourer,  but  he 
was  of  good  cheer  and  devoted  body  and  soul  to  his 
profession.  He  had  entered  into  life-long  friendship 
with  a  negro  who  was  on  the  same  ship,  and  about  the 
same  age  as  himself  ;  he  was  probably  the  captive  son 
of  a  king. — "  Of  course,"  Uncle  Fritz  had  answered  , 
'&-■' 


jf'H 


Home.  259 


"  and  made  of  such  excellent  wool  besides,  that  the 
dye  won't  come  off." — She  must  always  have  every- 
thing grander  than  other  folk,  even  if  she  has  to  draw 
on  her  own  imagination. 

I  was  able  by  degrees  to  devote  myself  more  exclu- 
sively to  my  own  business,  but  I  did  it  rather  by  fits 
and  starts  than  in  an  undisturbed  fashion  ;  for  to  be- 
gin with,  Frau  Bergfeldt,  whom  I  had  purposely  left 
very  much  on  one  side,  came  stumbling  up-stairs,  and 
she  had  a  request.  She  wanted  us  to  take  tickets  for 
Leuenfels's  tragedy,  which  would  not  be  accepted 
anywhere,  and  which  was  now  about  to  be  performed 
in  a  booth  with  the  assistance  of  some  young  writers 
like  himself.  "  It  is  sheer  envy  which  makes  them 
strive  to  bring  him  to  a  fall,"  she  said  ;  "  but  all  of 
those  who  belonged  to  the  poets'  league  '  New  Ger- 
many '  had  banded  themselves  together  to  show  the 
world  that  all  former  poets  had  been  idiots.  You  real- 
ly must  read  Leuenfels's  poems,"  she  said  ;  "  they  used 
to  give  my  deceased  husband  a  fit  of  the  shivers,  they 
were  so  beautiful." — *'  No  doubt  they  brought  him  to 
his  last  gasp." — "  Oh,  dear  no  ;  the  doctor  did  not  un- 
derstand the  nature  of  the  case.  He  was  not  properly 
treated." — "  Not  by  you,"  I  translated  truth  into  plain 
language  for  her  ;  "  for  you  positively  commit  murder 
with  your  envelopes."  This  was  a  set-off  against  what 
she  had  done. 

However,  as  she  had  been  giving  Leuenfels  an  un- 
justifiable amount  of  credit  on  the  strength  of  his 
piece,  I  took  six  tickets  for  her  sake  for  the  ''  Battle  of 
the  Nations."  Her  daughter  joins  her  with  her  fami- 
ly, and  intends  to  continue  letting  the  rooms  ;  and  so 
they  hope  to  be  able  to  gain  a  livelihood.  Augusta  is 
sure  to  please  the  people. 

The  tickets  turned  out  to  be  a  very  opportune  pur- 


260  Frau   Wilhelniine. 

chase,  for  instead  of  leaving  me  in  peace,  the  Klieb- 
isches  had  come  to  Berlin,  and  as  I  had  invited  them 
years  ago,  they  visited  us.  Frau  Kliebisch  had  broad- 
ened out  considerably.  Pomerania  must  be  a  nutri- 
tious country,  with  its  smoked  goose-breasts,  and  the 
other  animals  they  raise  there.  It  must  be  admitted 
that  her  beauty  was  already  a  matter  of  history,  and 
it  may  have  been  on  this  account  that  she  wished  to 
have  her  eating  department  furnished  anew  by  a  den- 
tist. Her  husband,  however,  had  travelled  hither,  im- 
pelled by  heavy  cares ;  for  on  the  occasion  of  a 
meeting  of  naturalists,  it  had  been  stated  in  a  scientific 
speech  that  agriculture  might  allow  itself  to  be  buried, 
as  in  the  near  future  all  such  products  as  flour,  meat, 
milk,  and  bread  would  be  manufactured  by  means  of 
chemistry,  all  of  them  from  air  and  water,  with  a  bit  of 
mineral  kingdom  thrown  in.  "In  that  case  I  am  a 
ruined  man,"  said  Kliebisch. — "  Has  that  really  been 
announced?"  asked  my  husband. — "All  the  papers 
contained  a  statement  that  a  golden  era  was  dawning 
for  us,  and  that  every  fear  about  food-supply  would 
be  removed." — "It  must  have  been  the  creation  of 
their  own  imaginations." — "  Not  a  bit  of  it ;  Virchow 
was  there,  too,  and  had  not  a  word  to  say  against  it ; 
and  you  know  how  he  drags  every  mistake  made  by 
the  Imperial  Diet  to  light,  so  that  it  must  be  all  right. 
If  I  could  only  buy  a  machine  like  that  in  Berlin,  I 
should  do  capitally;  we  have  excellent  air,  water,  and 
sand  about  us  for  the  manufacture  of  artificial  nour- 
ishment."— "  I  wonder  whether  it  would  agree  with 
me?"  I  suggested. — "And  then  there  is  the  question 
as  to  what  the  cost  of  production  would  be,"  said  my 
husband.  — "  That  is  just  what  I  want  to  inquire 
about.." 

Frau  Kliebisch  had  become  an  out-and-out  agricul- 


Home.  261 

turalist,  and  knew  more  about  potatoes  than  she  used 
to  do  about  music.  Her  dairy  left  her  no  leisure  for 
music,  and  her*  children  did  not  learn  either,  as  they 
were  quite  devoid  of  talent.  "  Instead  of  their  learn- 
ing, we  have  taken  the  money  the  lessons  would  have 
cost,"  she  told  us,  "  and  paid  it  into  a  military  in- 
surance office  for  the  boys  ;  that  will  produce  a  nice 
little  sum  if  they  are  obliged  to  serve.  If  farming 
should  get  into  still  greater  disrepute,  owing  to  the 
new  air  discovery,  that  will  be  a  great  assistance  to  us. 
Hinnerich  is  greatly  disturbed,  and  regrets  bitterly 
that  up  to  now  he  has  not  paid  sufficient  attention  to 
science." 

Herr  Kliebisch's  brother  had  come  with  them  also  ; 
he  was  a  farmer  too,  and  a  widower — tall  and  hand- 
some. When  he  said  good-day  to  me,  I  really  thought 
that  a  small  bundle  of  faggots  had  been  put  into  my 
hand.  He  said,  "  And  if  the  whole  staff  of  professors 
set  to  work  to  turn  the  machine,  they  will  find  it  hard 
work  to  produce  a  good  fatted  calf."  A  very  sensible 
man. 

We  made  the  Kliebisches  come  with  us  to  see 
Leuenfels's  piece,  "The  Battle  of  the  Nations,"  into 
which  not  only  all  the  Leuenfels-Bergfeldtian  ac- 
quaintances had  been  introduced,  but  also  some  others 
of  the  public.  Amanda  had  been  ready  with  her 
support,  and  the  Doctor  and  Emmi  as  well.  We  made 
up  a  large  party,  and  Frau  Bergfeldt  sat  beside  me, 
and  said  the  piece  would  bring  in  thousands,  because 
the  spiritual,  aided  by  a  guitar,  would  triumph  over 
the  material.  She  ought  to  know  something  about  it. 
The  first  act  was  capital.  They  played  in  animals' 
skins,  in  order  to  represent  the  savage  days  of  yore  ; 
then  the  scene  was  changed,  and  songs  and  lute-play- 
ing introduced  us  to  the  civilised  haunts  of  humanity. 


i 


262  Frau    Wilhclniine. 

They  sang  and  declaimed  one  Leuenfelsian  poem  after 
another,  "  Is  it  not  wonderfully  fine  ? "  asked  Frau 
Bergfeldt— "  I  like  it,"  I  said.  When  the  curtain  fell 
there  was  some  applause,  and  Leuenfels  appeared, 
looking  very  important.  There  were  a  great  man)'  of 
us  there  who  were  friends  ;  and  then  the  Kliebisches, 
with  their  big  hands  ! 

Now  came  the  second  act.  It  was  very  much  the 
same  thing  as  the  first,  for  the  savages  went  off  on 
predatory  excursions,  and  just  as  I  thought  they  came 
to  the  people  with  the  guitars.  And  the  rude  things 
they  said  to  one  another  !  My  word  !  The  audience 
yelled  '^  Da  Capo  " — "  Once  more," — and  when  the  one 
man  took  his  lute  and  banged  the  leader  of  the  sav- 
ages about  his  horns  with  his  old  instrument  so  that 
the  splinters  flew  about  and  he  tumbled  down  dead, 
the  noise  was  no  longer  exactly  pleasant.  One  set 
hissed,  others  applauded  and  stamped  their  feet,  and 
some  even  whistled,  which  caused  a  good  many  to 
retire  from  the  scene.  However,  we  stayed,  for  we 
wanted  to  see  the  fluttering  shroud.  But  it  did  not 
blow  about  on  the  flagstaff  as  it  ought  to  have  done, 
and  made  no  great  impression.  Frau  Bergfeldt  asked 
me  softly,  *'Am  I  likely  to  get  my  rent?"  I  did  not 
know. 

According  to  our  agreement,  we  went  to  the  Rath- 
skeller after  the  piece  was  over,  where  Leuenfels's 
triumph  was  to  be  celebrated.  He  was  awfully  abus- 
ive. "  His  piece  was  too  nearly  akin  to  the  Titans  to 
be  appreciated  by  the  blockhead  multitude,  to  whom 
true  poetry  was  a  sealed  book.  But  he  was  a  real 
poet,  notwithstanding  the  noise  and  cat-calls  of  his 
enemies." — "  You  have  covered  yourself  with  immor- 
tal renown  for  the  whole  of  your  life,"  I  said. — "  Cer- 
tainly," he  answered.     '*  It  does  one  good  to  discover 


Home.  263 


that  some  power  of  discrimination  is  still  in  existence. 
We  shall  go  on  writing." — The  Doctor  remarked  be- 
low his  breath  that  he  would  prefer  being  prompter  to 
a  performing  ape. 

But  he  is  not  conversant  with  the  drama.  On  the 
other  hand,  he  informed  Herr  Kliebisch  that  artificial 
i-ourishment  is  still  in  the  theoretical  stage  ;  that  it  is, 
so  to  speak,  the  amusing  side  of  science,  for  it  was 
correct  enough,  but  not  to  be  reduced  to  practice. 
Upon  this  Herr  Kliebisch  let  fly  an  awful  oath  at  the 
theoretical  and  ordered  some  champagne.  My  Carl 
did  his  share  in  having  some  bottles,  but  Kliebisch 
out-did  him  in  the  finer  qualities,  and  promised  the 
Doctor  a  ham  for  his  household. 

The  Doctor  paid  no  heed  to  the  opportunity  afford- 
ed him  of  standing  a  bottle  in  return.  Amanda  mer- 
rily kept  up  a  sturdy  conversation  with  Kliebisch's 
brother,  while  Leuenfels  discoursed  exclusively  about 
his  piece,  and  waxed  mightily  enthusiastic  about  him- 
self, until  the  cashier  arrived  from  the  theatre. 

"  Produce  the  reward  of  honour,"  Leuenfels  ex- 
claimed boastfully  ;  "there  will  be  no  lack  of  princely 
presents  for  the  poet !  " — "  He  brings  the  rent,"  said 
Frau  Bergfeldt. — "  Is  this  the  settlement  ? "  Leuenfels 
asked  after  reading  the  note  the  man  handed  him. 
"  What  does  it  mean  ?  What  is  that  ? "— "  The  tickets 
for  your  own  use,  and  your  share  for  this  evening,  just 
balance,  but  six  marks  have  still  to  be  paid  for  the 
lute." — "How  is  that?" — "You  insisted  on  having  a 
real  ^ute  to  be  broken,  and  a  second-hand  one  costs 
six  marks." — "  I  have  to  pay  out  some  more  ? " — "  Six 
marks." — "They  can  be  deducted  from  the  proceeds 
of  the  next  performance." — "'The  Battle  of  the  Na- 
tions'  has  been  temoved  from  the  bills;  it  was  too 
badly  received."- -My  Cail  lent  Leuenfels  the  money, 


i 


264  Frau   Wilhelmine. 

and  he  marched  off  dejectedly  with  Frau  Bergfeldt. 
It  seems  as  if  tragedy  had  its  drawbacks.  WeH.  Au- 
gusta knows  where  we  are  to  be  found. 

When  we  reached  home,  Felix  and  Betti  were  wait- 
ing for  us.  News  had  arrived  from  Max. — '*  Well  ? "  I 
asked. — "  He  will  not  believe  what  I  wrote  to  him," 
said  Felix,  "that  Frieda  had  become  quite  another 
person." — "  If  only  he  could  see  her  !  " — "  Quite  my 
idea,"  said  Felix. — "  Excuse  me  ;  mine." — "  Mamma, 
Felix  has  thought  out  a  plan  already.  When  Max 
arrives  the  day  after  to-morrow,  he  will  take  him  to 
the  Residenz  Theatre,  and  go  to  a  box,  where  nobody 
will  be  able  to  see  him  easily  ;  then  you  and  the  Klie- 
bisches  must  go  there  too,  and  take  Frieda  with  you." 
— "I  have  had  enough  of  theatres  for  the  present." — 
"Mamma,  Friedrich  Haase  plays  the  King's  Lieuten- 
ant— his  most  celebrated  part ;  and  just  think  how 
elegantly  arranged  Director  Amos's  stage  is — the  Klie- 
bisches  really  ought  to  see  it !  Frieda  will  go  quite 
unsuspectingly." — "  Children,  how  about  my  nerves  ? " 
—"You  left  them  behind  you  at  Sylt."— "We  will 
go." 

That  evening  will  remain  engraven  on  my  memory. 
Between  the  first  and  second  acts  Frau  Kliebisch  in- 
formed me  that  her  brother-in-law  intended  making 
Amanda. Kulecke  an  offer.  What  did  I  think  about  it  ? 
She  pleased  him  extremely. — I  looked  him  carefully 
over.  He  was  something  like  Uncle  Fritz,  only  more 
substantial.  "Try  your  luck,"  I  advised  him.  After 
this,  the  great  artist's  marvellous  acting  held  my 
attention  entirely  captive,  so  that  I  neither  thought 
about  Amanda  nor  Frieda.  He  had  to  come  forward 
in  the  middle  of  the  act,  and  the  people  shouted  their 
enthusiastic  "  Bravos."  Suddenly  Frieda  gave  a  start ; 
^^ His  voice,"  s!ic  cried,  then  got  up  and  looked  about 


Home.  265 

her.  And  as  she  discovers  Max,  she  sinks  unconscious 
into  my  arms. 

The  gentlemen  ne&rest  me  showed  great  kindness  in 
helping  me  to  lead  Frieda  out,  the  box-keeper  fetched 
some  water  to  revive  her,  and  when  he  came  with  it 
he  stood  in  astonishment  to  see  a  young  man  kneeling 
before  a  young  girl,  who  clung  round  his  neck  in 
tears.  While  the  people  inside  there  were  watching  the 
play,  we  were  having  our  drama  in  the  passage.  How- 
ever, it  came  to  a  happy  end  ;  and  even  if  there  should 
be  an  occasional  interchange  of  harsh  words  later,  my 
own  impression  is,  that  Max  may  calculate  on  more 
happiness  than  most  other  people.  I  know  Frieda 
now.  She  will  learn  to  see  more  and  more  clearly  that 
contentment  is  the  highest  gain,  the  happiness  that 
all  seek  for  and  the  fewest  find,  because  it  is  too  dim 
for  them. 

Before  the  end  of  the  act  we  were  all  in  a  fly  on  our 
homeward  way.  I  then  left  the  two  alone,  for  it  is 
very  annoying  when  two  people  wish  to  exchange 
confidences  and  the  third  cannot  betake  herself  else- 
where. 

Frau  Kliebisch  called  on  me  one  day,  looking  quite 
rejuvenated  ;  she  could  smile  freely  without  shielding 
her  mouth  with  her  hand,  as  she  had  done  before,  and 
her  Hinnerich  recovered  all  his  former  tenderness  for 
her.  If  he  had  fallen  in  love  v/ith  her  dazzling  pearls 
in  his  day,  it  was  her  duty  to  attend  to  their  renova- 
tion ;  for  how  often  love  vanishes  with  the  outward 
charms  ! 

Amanda  was  engaged,  even  before  the  Kliebisches 
left.  She  visited  us  with  her  athlete,  and  called  him 
her  file-leader.  "  He  shall  have  an  awfully  good  time," 
she  confided  to  me.     And  I  am  sure  that  he  v/ill,  too. 

As  the  first  snow  fell  the  time  was  approaching  when 


266  Frmi   Wilhelmine. 

we  had  to  bethink  ourselves  of  the  day  of  presents. 
Year  by  year  they  had  increased  in  number,  those  to 
whom  my  heart  clung,  but  the  love  it  contained  was 
not  less.  Oh,  no ;  the  more  it  was  distributed,  the  more 
it  grew.     It  must  be  true  that  it  is  inexhaustible. 

I  thought  the  old  puppet-show  would  be  suitable 
for  Fritz  and  Franz,  and  it  was  getting  ruined  in  the 
lumber-room  ;  to  mend  and  paste  it  together  was  an 
agreeable  evening  occupation  for  my  Carl  and  myself. 
Notwithstanding  the  factory,  he  had  less  work  to  do 
now,  as  Felix  took  most  of  it  off  his  hands.  We  had 
found  a  real  treasure  in  him. 

So  we  sat  there  and  pasted  kings  and  queens,  knights, 
counts,  peasants,  and  beggars,  and  fastened  new  wires 
on  to  the  figures. 

"  It  is  extraordinary,"  I  said,  "  I  cannot  do  without 
work,  with  the  best  will  in  the  world." — "And  yet," 
answered  my  Carl,  "  there  was  once  somebody  who 
wished — I  mention  no  names — to  retire  into  complete 
tranquillity," — "  Carl,  people  often  have  ideas,  only 
they  can't  help  running  their  heads  against  them. 
How  is  it  possible  for  Grandmamma  Buchholz  to  insist 
on  tranquillity  1  What  would  become  of  the  children 
and  grandchildren  ?  Ah,  Carl,  I  never  can  see  Uncle 
Fritz's  little  Wilhelmine  without  the  thought, — I  was 
just  as  helpless  once  as  the  sweet  little  being  that 
bears  my  name.  Will  she  grow  up  as  I  did,  with  just 
the  same  plaited  hair  and  apron  with  sleeves  ;  will 
she  once  have  as  rich  a  blessing  as  has  been  bestowed 
upon  me  here  below  ;  will  she  find  sometime  a  true 
heart  like  yours  ?     We  shall  hardly  live  to  see  it." 

"  The  day  is  drawing  near  its  close,"  spoke  my  Carl, 
"  the  great  Sabbath  of  peace  of  our  century.  Its  rosy 
hues  are  fading  softly  away,  but  what  will  the  morrow 
bring  us  ? " 


Home.  267 

"  Carl,  do  you  know,  man  must  leave  what  he  loves 
some  time  ?  But  a  strong  hand  leads  those  who  are 
left  behind,  through  chance  and  change,  towards  their 
home.  When  we  wish  to  direct,  we  find  that  we  have 
not  the  right  wire  to'  do  it  with.  Just  when  we  fancy 
that  we  have  set  to  work  particularly  craftily,  we  can 
see  our  mistakes  afterwards  ;  and  if  things  do  turn 
out  as  they  should,  it  happens  without  our  interven- 
tion. Just  look  back  on  our  life.  How  sunny  it  has 
been,  owing  to  you,  husband  of  my  heart,  owing  to 
you,  whom  He,  our  Father  in  Heaven,  gave  me  !  " 

We  were  both  silent.  Time  stole  gently  past  us, 
and  our  thoughts  followed  it. 


THE   END. 


The   Buchholz   Family, 

Sketches  of  Berlin  Life, 
By     JULIUS     STIISTDE. 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 


From    the    DEUTSCHE    RUNDSCHAU. 

"  The  social  grade  personified  in  this  middle-class  lady  is  drawn  with 
such  perfect  truth  to  nature  that  it  may  pass  for  a  photograph.  The  author 
indicates  clearly  and  minutely  all  that  goes  to  make  up  her  moral  and 
intellectual  being,  the  sources  from  which  she  drew  her  culture,  by  what 
means  and  through  what  causes  she  attained  her  views,  on  what  she  formed 
her  opinions,  and  how  she  maintained  the  same.  Every  phase  of  Berlin 
middle-class  life  is  treated  with  exhaustive  thoroughness,  and  its  relation 
to  God  and  to  the  world,  to  the  State  and  Society,  to  marriage,  the 
family,  birth  and  death,  are  given  so  truly  and  vividly  that  the  reader  once 
for  all  finds  out  where  he  is,  and  the  occasional  exaggerations  and  improb- 
abilities do  not  come  into  consideration.  .  .  .  Karl  and  Wilhelmine 
Buchholz,  Wrenzchen  and  Uncle  Fritz,  the  Krauses,  Weigelts,  and  the 
Police-lieutenant  and  his  wife,  are  all  people  who  are  equal  to  their  parts, 
and  capable  of  maintaining  their  position,  and  know  pretty  well  that  a 
German  exists  first  of  all  to  fulfil  his  duty,  or — to  put  it  in  Berlin  fashion — 
that  business  comes  first  and  pleasure  afterwards." — yune,  1886. 


From    BLACKWOOD'S    MAGAZINE. 

"Our  author  neither  theorizes,  nor  teaches,  nor  moralizes.  From  the 
dense  bewildering  throng  of  human  actors  in  the  human  drama,  he  has 
singled  out  one  tiny  group  for  study  of  an  almost  scientific  accuracy  and 
thoroughness,  and  has  then  fused  his  observations  into  such  a  living  picture 
as  only  a  true  artist  can  create.  His  sketches  are  vigorous,  realistic,  and 
racy  ;  they  sparkle  with  bright  fun  and  joyousness.  .  .  .  The  book  is 
somewhat  difficult  to  label  or  pigeon-hole.  It  is  not  a  novel.  A  slender 
thread  of  story  indeed  runs  through  these  semi-detached  sketches,  and 
upon  it  are  loosely  strung  a  series  of  highly  diversified  scenes  and  situ- 
ations ;  but  each  chapter  is  a  study  almost  complete  in  itself.  Light  and 
airy  though  they  be  on  the  surface,  a  great  deal  of  fine  painstaking  work- 
manship has  gone  into  Dr.  Stinde's  volumes.  In  their  homeliness,  their 
truthfulness,  their  realism,  and  their  elaborate  detail,  his  pictures  are  of  the 
Dutch  school.  "—^/r»7,  i886. 


By  the  Author  of  "How  to  be  Happy  Though  Married." 


"Manners  Makyth  Man." 

One  vol.,  i2mo,  cloth,       ...     $1.25. 


CONTENTS: 


Good  Manners.  Distinguished  Service  in  Passion. 

Wor.an's  Work — to  Please.  The  Wisdom  of  the  Foolish. 

Mir.d  Who  You  Marry.  "God  Almighty's  Gentleman." 

Keeping  Up  Appearances.  Matrirronial  Manners. 

Travelling  with  Advantage.  Family  Government. 

Only  Temper.  Money  is  Character. 

Vital  Force.  Conversation. 

Only  Trifles.  Vainglorious. 

Success  in  Life.  Housekeeping. 

What  Is  Religion  ?  About  Reading. 

The  Wise  Man's  Conclusion.  Tippling. 

Wanted — A  Man.  Misapplied'Virtues. 

A  Husband-and-Wife  Mutual  In  all  Time  of  Our  Wealth, 

[Improvement  Society.  How  Do  You  Do? 


The  author  of  "How  to  be  Happy  Though  Married,"  has 
written  his  second  -work  in  the  same  bright  and  entertaining 
manner  that  won  for  his  former  book  such  wholesome  praise 
and  so  large  a  circle  of  readers,  and  the  reception  that  will 
he  accorded  his  latest  work  promises  to  be  no  less  flattering. 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent,  post-paid,  by  the  publishers, 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS, 

7^j  Gr  y^^  Broadway,  New  York, 


Fourth  Edition  Now  T^eady. 

How  TO  BE  Happy 
Though  Married. 

By  a  Graduate  in  the  University  of  Matrimony. 

One  volume,  i2mo,,  beautifully  bound,         -        -        .        .        $1.25, 


C  OWTE^tTS: 


How  to  be  Happy  Though  Married. 

To  be  or  not  to  be — Married  ? 

Marriage — Made  Men. 

The  Choice  of  a  Wife. 

The  Choice  of  a  Husband. 

Making  the  Best  of  a  Bad  Bargain. 

Marriage  as  a  Discipline  of  Character. 

BeiDg  Married. 

Honeymooning. 

Marriage  Vows. 

"Drive  Gently  Over  the  Stones." 

Furnishing. 

Married  People's  Money. 

The  Management  of  Servants. 


Preparation  for  Parenthood. 
"What  is  the  Use  of  a  Child?" 
The  Education  of  Parents. 
Wanted !     Mothers. 
'•Nursing  Fathers." 
Politeness  at  Home. 
Sunshine. 

They  Had  a  Few  Words. 
Pulling  Together. 
Nets  and  Cages. 
Husbands  Have  Duties  Too. 
The  Health  of  the  Family. 
Love  Surviving  Marriage. 
"He  Will  not  Separate  Us,  We  Have 
Been  so  Happy." 


"We  strongly  recommend  this  book  as  one  of  the  best  of  wedding  presents  It  is  a 
complete  handbook  to  an  earthly  Paradise,  and  its  author  may  be  regarded  as  the  Mur- 
ray of  Matrimony  and  the  Baedeker  of  Bliss."— /"«//  Mall  Gazette. 

"This  volume  is  written  with  exceeding  grace,  and  the  author  shows  a  happy  knack 
in  the  selection  of  his  illustrations.  .  .  The  book,  n  singularly  honest  one,  does  not 
sermonize.  Replete  with  good  advice,  cheerfully  imparted,  it  teaches  lessons  to  those 
about  to  be  married,  and  even  to  those  whose  partners  in  life  have  been  already 
chosen." — Neiu  York  Times. 

"A  clever,  readable  and  entertaining  book." — Literary  Churchman. 

"One  of  the  brightest,  wittiest,  most  sensible  and  wholesome  books  on  the  subject 
of  matrimony  that  we  have  seen.  .  .  It  is  brimming  over  with  the  best  advice,  but 
the  dose  is  so  happily  commingled  with  bright  sayings,  apt  quotations,  and  pleasant  an- 
ecdotes, that  the  reader  takes  it  all  before  he  realizes  the  exact  nature  of  the  com- 
pound."— Nev)  York  Observer. 

"An  entertaining  volume,  .  .  The  new  guide  to  matrimonial  felicity." — London 
Standard. 

"One  of  the  cleverest,  best  written  books  on  the  subject  we  have  read  at  any  time 
To  girls  contemplating  marriage,  the  volume  should  be  presented  as  a  wedding  gift.    . 
Grave  and  gay,  but  never  for  a  moment  dull  or  tiresome.     Each  page  sparkles  with.an- 
ecdote  or  suggestive  illustration." — Ladies^  Treasury. 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent,  post-paid,  by  the  publishers, 

CHARLES     SCRIBNER'S     SONS, 

J 4^  &•  7^5  Broadway,  New-York, 


Uniform  Library  Edition. 

Mrs.  Frances  Hodgson  Burnett's  Novels. 


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English  language,  not  even  excepting  the  best  of  George  Eliot's." — Boston 
Transaipt. 

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a  Pacific  silver-mine,  thrown  amid  the  very  proper  petty  aristocracy  of  an 
Englis-h  rural  town." — Springjield  J\e2'^ublica7i. 

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Lass  o'  Lowrie's'  is  exhibited  in  many  a  touching  scene  in  her  new  story, 
which  is  only  to  be  found  fault  with  because  it  is  too  touching." — London 
AthencFum. 

LOUISIANA. 

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"We  commend  this  book  as  the  product  of  a  skillful,  talented,  well- 
trained  pen.  Mrs.  Burnett's  admirers  are  already  numbered  by  the  thousand, 
and  every  new  work  like  this  one  can  only  add  to  their  number. " — Chicago 
Ttibune. 

HA  WORTHS 

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"  It  is  but  faint  praise  to  speak  of  'Hnworth's'  as  merely  a  good  novel. 
It  is  one  of  the  few  great  novels." — Hartjord  Coitrant. 

SURLY  TIM, 

AND     OTHER     STORIES. 

One  volume,  12mo,  extra  cloth,  -  -  $1.25 

"  Each  of  these  narratives  have  a  distinct  spirit,  and  can  be  profitably 
read  by  nil  classes  of  peojile.  They  are  told  not  only  with  true  art  but  with 
deep  pathos." — Boston  Post. 

CHARLES   SCRIBNER'S   SONS,  PUBLISHERS, 

7^^  &  74^  "Broadway,  Ne-w  York, 


"  Mr.  Stockton  has  written  a  book  which  you  can't  discuss  with- 
0ut  laughing  J  and  that  is  proof  enough  of  its  quality.''^ 

— N.  Y.  Tribune. 

The  Late  Mrs.  Null. 

By  FRANK  R.  STOCKTON. 


One   Volume.      12tno.      Cloth.      $1.2S, 


"The  Late  Mrs.  Null"  is  one  of  those  fortunate  books  that 
goes  beyond  all  expectation.  Even  those  readers  whose  hopes 
have  been  raised  the  highest  have  before  them — especially  in  the 
fact  that  they  receive  the  story  complete  and  at  once,  without 
intermediate  serial  publication — such  an  enjoyment  as  they  hard- 
ly foresee. 

It  is  enough  to  say  of  the  scene  that  it  is  chiefly  in  Virginia, 
to  show  the  possibilities  of  local  character-drawing  open  to  Mr. 
Stockton  in  addition  to  his  other  types ;  and  to  say  that  every 
character  is  full  of  the  most  ingenious  and  delicious  originality 
is  altogether  needless.  In  an  increasing  scale,  the  situations  are 
still  more  complicated,  ingenious,  and  enjoyable  than  the  charac- 
ters ;  and  finally,  the  plot  is  absolutely  baffling  in  its  clever  in- 
tricacy yet  apparent  simplicity — a  true  device  of  Mr.  Stockton's 
tireless  fancy. 

"We  congratulate  the  novel  reader  upon  the  feast  there  is  in  'The  Late  Mrs. 
Null.'  '"—Hart/ord  Post. 

"We  can  assure  prospective  readers  that  their  only  regret  after  finishing  the  book 
will  be  that  never  again  can  they  hope  for.  the  pleasure  of  reading  it  again  for  the 
first  time." — The  Critic. 

"  Original,  bright,  and  full  of  the  author's  delicate  humor." — New  Yori/turnal 
of  Commerce. 

"  '  The  Late  Mrs.  Null'  is  delicious." — Boston  Journal. 


For  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent,  post-paid,  by  the  publishers, 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS, 

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I- 


**  Stockton  has  the  knack,  perhaps  genius  would  be  a  better  word,  o/ 
writing  in  the  easiest  of  colloquial  English  without  descending  to  tht 
plane  of  the  vulgar  or  commonplace.  •  *  •  With  the  added  charm 
of  a  most  delicate  humor,  his  stories  become  irresistibly  attractive"— 
Philadelphia  Times. 

STOCKTON'S  Stories 


— »« 


THE   LADY,    OR   THE   TIGER? 

^-ND    OTHER    STORIES 
One  volume,  lamo,  cloth,      .         .         .         $1.25 

THE  LADY,  OR  THE   TIGER? 

THE  TRANSFERRED   GHOST 

THE   SPECTRAL  MORTGAGE 
OUR  ARCHERY   CLUB 

THAT   SAME    OLD  'COON 
OUR  STORY  HIS  WIFE'S   DECEASED    SISTER 

MR.  TOLMAN 

ON  THE  TRAINING  OF  PARENTS 
OUR  FIRE-SCREEN 

A  PIECE  OF  RED  CALICO 

EVERY  MAN  HIS  OWN  LETTER-WRITEK 


THE   CHRISTMAS   WRECK 

^ND    OTHER    STORIES 
One  volume,  lamo,  cloth,       .         .         ,         $1.25 

THE  CHRISTMAS  WRECK 

A  STORY  OF  ASSISTED  FATE  (in  iw»  Mris) 
AN  UNHISTORIC  PAGE 

A  TALE  OP  NEGATIVE  GRAVITY 
THE  REMARKABLE  WRECK  OF  THE  "THOMAS  HYKE" 
MY  BULL-CALF 

THE  DISCOURAGER  OF  HESITANCY 

A  BORROWED  MONTH  {East  and  IVest) 

THE  CLOVERFIELD'S  CARRIAGE 


iF#r  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  sent  post-paid,  by  the  publishers, 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S    SONS 

7^^  and  745  Broadway,  New  York 


^  T5EAUTIFUL  U^EIV  EDITION, 


By  FRANK  R.  STOCKTON. 

ILLXJSTRj^TED     BY      A.     B.     inROST. 


Owe  roZ.,  12mo, 


$2.00. 


The  new  Rudder  Grange  has  not  been  illustrated  in  a  conventional 
way.  Mr.  Frost  has  given  us  a  series  of  interpretations  of  Mr. 
Stockton's  fancies,  which  will  delight  every  appreciative  reader, — 
sketches  scattered  through  the  text ;  larger  pictures  of 


^>x--.^^-e^--  _^"::^^^^*^!?fei^ 


-'■    u 


ri^A^?-.. 


v-r<  ■.-:•- — 


the  many  great  and  memorable  events,  and  everywhere  quaint  orna- 
ments.    It  is,  on  the  whole,  one  of  the  best 
existing  specimens  of  the  complete  supple- 
menting   of  one    another   by  author  and 

artist.      The  book  is  luxurious  in  the  best     ^^^tfV-:!    "'^-^-i-*_ 
sense  of  tha  word,  admirable  in  typography, 
convenient  in  size,  and  bound  in  a  capital  cover  of  Mr.  Frost's  design. 


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CHARLES     SCRIBNER'S     SONS. 

743   ^  745  Broadway,  New   York. 


J  -  ■■ 


r;*' ■i*w^*=5w='v*\j 


NEW  EDITIONS  IN  UNIFORM  BINDING. 

SAXE    HOLM'S    STORIES. 

FIRST   SERIES. 

"  Draxy  Miller's  Dowry,"       "The  Elder's  Wife," 

"Whose  Wife  Was  She?"  "The  One-Legged  Dancers,* 

"  How  One  Woman  Kept  Her  Husband," 

"Esther  Wynn's  Love  Letters." 


One  vol.,   12tno,  cloth,   $1.00.     Paper,  BO  Cents. 

These  stories  are  unique  m  recent  literature  for  their  intensity,  their 
fascination,  their  thorough  knowledge  of  the  human  heart,  and  the 
marvelous  powers  of  description  which  they  display.  The  gems  of  poetry 
scattered  through  their  beautiful  and  subtile  fabric  constitute  one  of  their 
most  interesting  and  attractive  characteristics,  and  warrant  the  verdict 
universally  pronounced,  as  the  stories  have  from  time  to  time  appeared 
in  "  Scribner's  Monthly,"  that  Saxe  Holm  is  one  of  the  most  versatile 
and  accomplished  of  American  writers  of  fiction. 

CRITICAL    NOTICES. 

"Who  'Saxe  Holm'  is  we  do  not  know,  but  no  one  of  the  magazine  contributors  of 
the  present  day  writes  better  stories  than  she.  Her  characters  are  strongly  drawn,  and 
she  goes  right  to  the  heart  of  human  experience  as  one  who  knows  the  way.  .  .  .  We 
heartily  commend  them  as  vigorous,  wholesome,  and  sufficiently  exciting  stories." — 
Advance. 

"The  stories  of  Saxe  Holm  are  among  the  very  best  of  recent  writing.  They  are 
simple  narratives  of  homely  occurrences,  and  win  to  the  reading  by  a  disregard  of 
deeply  laid  sensations  and  startling  denouncement." — Utica  Herald. 

"There  are  six  of  these  stories.  Not  one  of  them  can  be  called  dull.  Some  of 
them  are  peculiarly  entertaining,  and  all  are  written  in  a  lively,  animated  style.  They 
show  both  the  originality  and  the  art  of  successful  narration  along  with  considerable 
power  in  conceiving  characters." — Churchtnan. 


THE   SECOND    SERIES. 

SAXB     HOIvM'S     SKRIKS. 

INCLUDING 

"The  Four-Leaved  Clover,"  "My  Tourmaline," 

"Farmer  Bassett's  Romance,"     "Joe  Hales'  Red  Stockings,** 

"  Susan  Lawton's  Escape." 


One  vol.,  12m.o,  cloth,  $1.00.     Paper,  SO   Cents. 

*^.*  TTte  above  books  for  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  will  be  sent,  post  or  express  ckargei 
faid,  upon  receipt  of  the  price  by  the  publishers, 

CHARLES    SCRIBNER'S   SONS, 

743  AND  745  Broadway,  New  York, 


Popular  Books  in  Paper 


(YEH.O'W    COVERS.) 


Prank  R.  Stockton 

Qeorge  W.   Cable 

Praiider  Matthews 

Robert  Grant 
Marion  Harland 
A..  A.  Hayes 
J.  T.  Wheelwright 
R.  L.  Stevenson 

Mrs.  F.  H.  Burnett 


Brander  Mattliew^s 
H.  C.  Bunner 
G.  P.  liathrop 


J.  S.  of  Dale 
Saxe-Holm  Stories 
Julia  Magruder 
Fitz-James  O'Brien 
AndreAV  Lang 
Andrew^  Carnegie 
W.  E.  Gladstone 
Capt.  Roland  Coflfin 
Charles  Marvin 
Max  O'Rell 
Capt.  J.  G.  Bourke 


The  Christmas  Wreck,  and  other  Stories.. 50 
The  Lady,  or  the  Tiger?  and  other  Stories. 50 

Rudder  Grange 60 

Dr.  Sevier 50 

Old  Creole  Days.  In  two  parts;  each  complete  30 

A  Secret  of  the  Sea,  and  other  Stories. 50 

The  Last  Meeting 50 

Pace  to  Face 50 

Judith.     A  Chronicle  of  Old  Virginia 50 

The  J  esuit's  E,ing.  A  Romance  of  Mt.  Desert  50 

A  Child  of  the  Century 50 

Strange  Case  of  Dr.  Jekyll  and  Mr.  Hyde.  .25 

Kidnapped 50 

The  Merry  Men,  and  other  Tales  and  Fables . .  35 

That  Lass  O'Lowries 50 

Earlier  Stories  ;  Ltndsey's  Luck 30 

Pretty  Polly  Pemberton 40 

Kathleen. 40 

Theo 30 

Miss  Crespigny. 30 

In  Partnership  :  Studies  in  Story-telling. .  .50 

An  Echo  of  Passion 50 

Newport ;  a  Novel 50 

In  the  Distance 50 

Guemdale  ;  an  Old  Story .50 

First  Series.  Second  Series.  Each  complete.  50 

Across  the  Chasm.     A  Novel 50 

The  Diamond  Lens,  and  other  Stories 50 

The  Mark  of  Cain. 25 

An  American  Four-ta-Hand  in  Britain 25 

The  Irish  Question 10 

<T?he  America's  Cup.     Illustrated.. . 50 

The  Russians  at  the  Gates  of  Herat 50 

John  Bull  and  His  Island 50 

An  Apache  Campaign  in  the  Sierra  Madre.50 


CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS,  PUBLISHERS, 

74^  and  j4^  'Broadway,  New  York. 


T-f^^^m^rnKm^, 


A   NEW    BOOK  BY    ROBERT   LOUIS   STEVENSON. 

TH£  MERRY  MEN, 

And    Other    Tales   and   Fables. 
jt  TOl.,  z2ttio,  clotti,  $i.oo ;  paper  (yello-w  covers),  35  ctSe 

CONTENTS : 
THE  MERRY  MEN.  OLALLA, 

THRAWN  JANET.  MARKHEIM, 

WILL  O'  THE  MILL.  THE  TREASURE  OF  FRANCHARD„ 

"If  there  is  any  writer  of  the  time  about  whom  the  critics  of  England  and  America 
substantially  agree  it  is  Mr.  Robert  Louis  Stevenson.  There  is  something  in  his  work, 
precisely  what,  it  is  not  easy  to  say,  which  engages  and  fixes  the  attention  from  the 
first  page  to  the  last,  which  shapes  itself  before  the  mind's  eye  while  reading,  and 
which  refuses  to  be  forgotten  long  after  the  book  which  revealed  it  has  been  closed 
and  put  away.  There  is  a  power  of  a  grim  sort  on  every  page  of  this  curious  story 
('  The  Merry  Men '),  and  with  this  power  a  strange  insight  into  the  darker  v/orkinga 
of  the  human  heart,  and  there  is  a  vividness  about  everything  in  it  which  has  no 
parallel  anywhere  outside  of  '  Wuthering  Heights.'" 

■ — Richard  Henry  Stoddard,  in  The  Mail  and  Express, 


OTHER   BOOKS   BY  ROBERT  LOUIS  STEVENSON. 

STRANGE  CASE  OF  DR.  JEKYLL  AND  MR.  HYDE 

I  -vol.,li2tiio,  clotb,  $1.00 ;  paper  (yello^nr  covers),  25  cts. 


KIDNAPPED. 

Being  the  Adventures  of  David  Balfour  in  the  Year  1751. 
I  vol.,  i2mo,  cloth,  $x.oo ;  paper  (yello-w  covers),  50  cts. 

"Mr.  Stevenson  has  never  appeared  to  greater  advantage  than  in  '  Kidnapped.' 
.  .  .  No  better  book  of  its  kind  than  these  '  Memoirs  of  the  Adventures  of  David 
Balfour'  has  ever  been  written." — The  Nation. 


A  CHILD'S  GARDEN  OF  VERSES. 

I  vol.,  izmo,  $1.00. 

"To  out  thinking,  Mr.  Stevenson  has  made  a  book  which  will  become  a  classic  in 
the  not  over-crowded  field  of  children's  poetry." — Brooklyn  Union. 

"A  more  exquisite  and  dainty  art  than  Mr.  Stevenson's  has  not  come  to  the  ser- 
vice of  children  and  their  interpretation." — Springfield  Republican. 


*^  These  books  are  for  sale  by  all  booksellers,  or  will  be  sent,  post-paid,  on 
receipt  of  price  by  the  ptiblishers. 

Charles  Scribner's  Sons'  Catalogue  of  their  Publications,  and  also  of  theif 
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CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS,  Publishers, 
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